Munster open a new chapter by signing Storeys

THERE are two new Storeys in the Munster equation next season.

The Heineken Cup nearly men have completed the signings of prop forward Mike and centre James from the southern and northern hemisphere, respectively.

Munster coach Alan Gaffney has been gunning for the duo for the last 12 months and his New Zealand conquest has already arrived in Ireland complete with an Irish passport to avoid causing qualification problems.

Munster have been drawn in the Heineken Cup with Harlequins, Castres and Neath/Swansea Ospreys and it's ironic that the second part of this "Storey" has spent five years playing with the Welsh outfit.

But, significantly, the 26-years-old six-foot-three centre, who impressed Gaffney hugely in the Celtic League over the last couple of years, is free to join the Munster squad without having to worry about qualification. He is a former English international at juvenile level, has played most of his senior rugby in Wales and is free to come and go in Europe as he pleases.

Gaffney admitted at the end of last season, when Munster lost the semi-final of the Heineken Cup, that he needed back up in three or four areas of the field. He was particularly worried about the front row, the centre and second row, an area that heightened with an injury to David Pusey.

So far, the coach has managed to do quite well. Mike Storey has played in England already, so he knows what is required. He headed back to New Zealand and played Super 12 with Auckland before damaging an Achilles tendon an injury that ruled him out of the Munster equation last season.

His younger English/Welsh "cousin" will arrive in Ireland in the next few weeks to join the Munster squad, But Gaffney's main worry in the meantime will be to fill one last place in the squad in time for Heineken Cup accreditation.

Injuries have forced his hand and he now needs to make sure that a further second-row forward, maybe one capable of playing in the back row as well, is added to the squad.

"David Pusey is ruled out for six months, which means we're a bit short in the second row. We have been talking to a couple of people but I reckon it will take two weeks or more before we finalise our squad," he said.