Galwey gets the nod as injury sidelines O’Callaghan

MICK GALWEY was hardly inside the gate of Musgrave Park yesterday when he was handed a piece of news he hadn’t quite expected.

Coach Alan Gaffney took the Kerryman aside and told him he was in the side to play Gloucester in the opening game of the new Heineken European Cup at Kingsholm on Saturday. Incumbent second row Donnacha O’Callaghan shipped a nasty, though accidental, blow to the face during last Saturday’s Celtic League win over Neath. Yesterday the damage was identified as a fracture of the jaw.

“I suppose there is no such thing as a mild fracture but this one is not particularly serious. The bone is not displaced and Donnacha should be fit again in four weeks,” said Gaffney.

However that means the talented Cork Constitution man misses the Gloucester match as well as the visit of Perpignan to Thomond Park on Saturday week. Given that another member of the second-row family, Paul O’Connell, is a long term injury victim, Gaffney admitted to considerable relief that he had veteran Galwey, who turned 36 on Tuesday, as a replacement for O’Callaghan.

“We are indeed lucky to have a man of his stature ready to come in,” said the Australian, as he prepares himself for the biggest challenge of his short but so far hugely impressive reign as Munster boss.

“He’s been there and done that and his experience in the passionate atmosphere of Kingsholm will be priceless. Yes, we are now a little short of cover in the second-row, although Eddie Halvey can also fill in there.”

Galwey for O’Callaghan is the only change to the team that defeated Neath, which means a Heineken cup debut on the left wing for Shannon’s Mossy Lawler in place of the injured Anthony Horgan, while Jeremy Staunton retains the fullback jersey ahead of Dominic Crotty. Denis Leamy, the 20-year-old UCC flanker, is named as a substitute.

“It came quite as a shock to be told I was in the side and obviously I am delighted at the call up,” said Galwey. “However, I’m very sorry for Donnacha. He’s been trying to force his way in for the past few years and now this has to happen.

“I gave a commitment at the start of the season and started three of the Celtic League matches as well as playing in all the pre-season friendlies, so I haven’t been idle by any means. It’s not so long ago that I was still competing at the highest level so I have no fears about this game.”

Gaffney admitted he didn’t have his number one side finalised prior to the visit to Neath but that performance helped him make up his mind.

“We had some close calls for the Neath game and I believed some players were unlucky to lose out. But when they go out and perform like that, you just leave well enough alone. It’s a situation that vindicates the squad we picked at the start of the year. When some weren’t available, there were others ready and willing to take their places. Any of those would fit seamlessly into this side and the same applies to those who didn’t make the bench.”

In many ways, it may be just as well Munster are going in at the deep end, away to a Gloucester side that has raced into a big lead at the top of the English Premiership.

It guarantees there won’t be a shred of complacency in the Munster camp and Gaffney and his assistant coach Brian Hickey have left nothing undone to ensure their side is fully prepared. Gaffney has studied several videos of their matches and Hickey travelled to Gloucester to watch their recent clash with near neighbours Bristol.

“They are very powerful up front and fast out wide,” he reported. “There was a full house and it was a really passionate affair. Gloucester have quality from one to 15 and it showed that day.”

It will be the first time that Gaffney’s fellow Aussie Jim Williams leads Munster in a Heineken Cup match and while he, too, recognises the extent of the challenge awaiting Munster, he spoke positively of his side’s prospects.

He agreed that the disappointment of losing last year’s final still lingered, indeed he went so far as to admit that it would always be there.

“However, you learn from those kinds of things,” he insisted. “They make you more determined. I also

believe our experience of playing in Europe and winning away from home will be a major factor in our favour. We have almost made a habit of going to France and winning and I believe we can handle this as well. We are ready to go.”

Gaffney had a tough act to follow in Declan Kidney but so far he has coped extremely well. He’s very popular with his players and happy with the progress they are making as a team and as individuals. He singled out Lawler and Leamy and spoke of how rewarding it was that they should have come on so well.

“Mossy had an impressive schools career and went on to captain the Irish U21s and now he is doing very well for us,” he said. “In fact, he has scored the first try in each of our Celtic League matches. Although more at home in the centre, he has adapted very well to the wing. His defence is solid and while he is a little on the slight side, he has put on weight. He faces a dangerous opponent on Saturday in Marcel Garvey but then he has already marked a few useful players and come through well.

“As for Denis Leamy, he is more recognised as a number six or eight but I believe he has the ideal talents for a number seven. He can get around the paddock, he runs very good lines, has a good instinct for the game and will be as quick as any in getting to the loose ball.”

MUNSTER: J Staunton; J Kelly, M Mullins, R Henderson, M Lawler; R O’Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, M Galwey, M O’Driscoll, J Williams (capt), A Quinlan, A Foley.

Replacements: S Kerr, J Blaney, E Halvey, D Leamy, M Prendergast, J Holland, D Crotty.

GLOUCESTER (probable): H Paul; M Garvey, T Fanolua, R Todd, J Simpson Daniel; L Mercier, A Gomarsall; R Roncero, O Azam, P Vickery (capt), R Fidler, M Cornwell, J Boer, J Forrester,

P Buxton.