Latham turns down Munster move

Rugby News: A slightly embittered war of words has broken out between Munster coach Alan Gaffney and Chris Latham after the Australian full-back's decision not to join Munster, which he relayed to Gaffney last Friday despite having signed a letter of intent a week earlier.

The ill-feeling over Latham's u-turn broke out after Gaffney, who has known the player since their days at Sydney club Randwick in the mid-90s, was contacted by an Australian journalist before 7 a.m. yesterday.

"I hadn't had a good night's sleep and made a few candid comments which unfortunately were reprinted in full, back in Australia."

Gaffney was quoted telling the Australian Associated Press that: "As far as we're concerned he's made his decision and that's final so we're not going on with it. We don't want people who don't want to be here." Gaffney said Latham's handling of the the issue, after he told him eight days ago he was coming, was "less than admirable," adding: "Munster people are people who look each other in the eye and are honest with each other.

"Whatever Chris decides now after what has transpired is Chris's decision. If he wants to be here, he's here; if he doesn't want to be here he's not here."

This in turn prompted an angry response from Latham, who has yet to make a definite decision about his future following pressure from the Queensland reds and the Australian rugby union not to join the mass Wallaby exodus.

"Everyone's entitled to a comment and if that's his well that's fine," Latham said yesterday. "I still haven't made a decision, but I'll know in a couple of days."

Any chance of a rapprochement would appear to have been scuppered and Gaffney confirmed the deal was dead.

"I didn't want to make a big deal about it but I'm not happy about what happened. It's worth stressing that Chris Latham approached us, it wasn't as though we went after him. Then he signed a formal heads of agreement. "He also called me and told me that he couldn't wait to get over here, and that all his extended family were looking to come over also.

"Chris had given a verbal agreement to Munster and had signed a letter of intent," admitted the Queensland RU chief executive Jeff Miller. "When Chris considered his options a few things were at the forefront of his mind. One was to play 100 games for the Reds and another was to continue on his Test career. I think anyone that deprived him of that would be doing an injustice. Even the Irish could see that his passion was to play here."