Munster passed up chance to sign Lomu

Munster, it has emerged, may have been favourites at one stage of Jonah Lomu's long-running transfer saga to a European club to sign the legendary All Black winger. Certainly that was the belief within the Cardiff Blues, and Munster sources have confirmed they were in advanced negotiations with Lomu's agent before Cardiff signed him last week.

"Yes it's true that we were a long way down the road with him and perhaps might have had first option on him at one point," admitted a Munster spokesperson yesterday.

And Lomu himself is believed to have been in contact with his old All Black team-mate Christian Cullen.

However, Munster were ultimately reluctant to gamble on a player who has played only one game in the last three years, Martin Johnson's testimonial last May at Twickenham.

To even be back on a pitch playing was a miraculous achievement for a player who, after the 1995 and 1999 World Cups, was undoubtedly the biggest name in the global game, but since then his career has been blighted by nephrotic syndrome, which necessitated a kidney transplant last year.

Munster were committed to signing Anton Pitout - the 28-year-old winger-cum-centre from the Cheetahs' Currie Cup team - so their interest switched to Gary Connolly. The former Britain and Ireland rugby league international was signed at relatively short notice in time for the Heineken European Cup deadline last Thursday after Declan Kidney noticed his possible availability just over a week ago.

Connolly duly scored twice on his debut in the win over Connacht last Saturday.

Munster entertain Leinster in an eagerly awaited Celtic League clash at Musgrave Park next Sunday and given they are idle the following weekend, this is Declan Kidney's last opportunity to try out combinations and see players back from injury before their opening European Cup tie, away to the high-flying Sale Sharks.

Hence, Pitout - who has undergone four operations after a pin inserted in the leg he broke playing for the Springbok Sevens last January became infected - may well come into the Munster side after arriving from South Africa yesterday.

Kidney might also give Shaun Payne, Anthony Horgan and/or David Wallace game time if any or all of them recover from recent short-term injuries. He is expected to announce his squad tomorrow and his team later in the week.

His counterpart Michael Cheika will definitely be without Guy Easterby not only for next Sunday's game but also for the opening two rounds of the European Cup after confirmation the Ireland scrumhalf suffered a broken jaw in Leinster's hard-earned win over Ulster.

Easterby will be sidelined for an estimated six to eight weeks, which would rule him out of Ireland's opening autumn international, against the All Blacks, and probably the ensuing games against Australia and Romania.

Brian O'Meara will thus be expected to start, with Brian O'Riordan back on the bench after recovering from a pre-season ankle injury to play in the A game between Leinster and Ulster last Friday. Sunday's game should also see Keith Gleeson make his 50th appearance for Leinster.

Welsh outhalf Stephen Jones faces a race against time to be fit for his country's clash with New Zealand on November 5th. He badly twisted an ankle playing for his club side, Clermont Auvergne, on Saturday and has been told he needs four weeks to recover.