Munster signal intentions with new signing

MUNSTER'S latest overseas signing, Australian prop Simon Kerr, will have his work cut out to pin down a place for the new Heineken Cup campaign, because coach Alan Gaffney has promised to give first crack to the established John Hayes and aspiring international Marcus Horan.

But Kerr, 32, does have the benefit of being able to play at either loose or tight head prop and seems certain to play a meaningful role for the Irish province in the coming 12 months.

Gaffney completed the signing this week but only announced it to the players yesterday before making it public.

“He is a very high quality player with the right temperament to fit in with the Munster squad,” said Gaffney yesterday.

He moved for Kerr, who has a wealth of experience in the southern hemisphere, as a replacement for Peter Clohessy who has retired, although

the signs are that Horan and Hayes will be the two first choice props when the season gets underway next month.

Kerr was in the Queensland Reds squad for the last two seasons after experience of playing with the Waikato Chiefs, Southland and New South Wales.

He also spent a season with Coventry in England a few years ago.

In the official Queensland Reds website, he is described as a “tough, journeyman prop with the ability to play on both sides of the scrum”.

Kerr did not take up rugby until he was 20, having started his sporting career in Melbourne as an Australian Rules footballer. After joining Queensland last season, he played six times for the state and won three caps with the side in the Super 12 competition.

The Australian, who is in the process of selling his house, will join up with the Munster squad early next month, but the losing Heineken Cup finalists have already welcomed Dominic Malone to their midst after he signed from Northampton. Malone trained with Munster for the last few days. He will return to England for the weekend and then join up with the squad again next week.

Ironically, he was on the Northampton side for 63 minutes of that gripping Heineken Cup final of 2000 when the English side scraped home 9-8 against Munster at Twickenham. Munster lost their second Heineken Cup final in Cardiff last May to Leicester.

Meanwhile, Connacht have appointed Galway journalist John Fallon as manager to the senior team for the 2002/2003 season.

Fallon, 37, has worked for the Connacht Tribune for over 18 years but has been granted 12 month’s leave of absence to take charge of Connacht.

Aside from first-team duties, Fallon will also be responsible for developing and implementing a marketing strategy for the province as they bid to build on the progress made by South African director of coaching Steph Nel over the past two years.

Last year, Connacht reached the quarter-finals of the Celtic League which included victories away to Cardiff and Newport while they were defeated by eventual winners Sale Sharks in the Parker Pen Shield.

“This is a very exciting time for Connacht rugby. Massive strides have been made on the pitch, with the excellent work at youth level starting to yield big dividends such as the U21 interprovincial success last year when Connacht defeated all three other provinces.

“Off the field there are also exciting developments. A new headquarters for Connacht rugby is being developed at the Sportsground and this should be open by October. The redevelopment work there will also include a superb new stand,” said Fallon.

Gerry Kelly, CEO of the Connacht Branch of the IRFU, said the new manager would make a positive impact.

“He has been following and writing about Connacht rugby for years, so not much will be new to him,” said Kelly.