Munster bring in big-hitting Lima

Rugby NewsMunster have nominated Samoan star Brian Lima and scrumhalf Frank Murphy as their additional players for the knock-out stages of the European Cup. Their names were submitted to ERC by yesterday's noon deadline.

Lima was one of the stars of the recent battle of the hemispheres match, not least for his thunderous tackling, a trait that has earned him the nickname The Chiropractor. He joins the Irish province on a short-term contract for the rest of the season.

He is his country's all-time leading try-scorer, recording a half-century of caps in a career which has included spells with the Auckland Blues, Otago Highlanders and Stade Francais. He is due to join the Munster squad in the next two weeks, assuming he passes a medical and gets the requisite work permit.

Murphy, a former Ireland Schools and Under-21 international, and current captain of UCC, has won 10 Munster caps and made his Celtic League debut for the side in August 2001. He is a player of genuine promise and it will be interesting to evaluate his progress over the next couple of seasons.

"I am very happy with the quality of player we have been able to nominate," said Munster coach Alan Gaffney. "Frank Murphy is a player who I believe has a lot to offer and he fully deserves this opportunity.

"Brian Lima is, of course, one of the great names in world rugby and I think Munster supporters will have seen exactly what he is capable of in that North v South game in Twickenham last weekend."

Munster will be without Christian Cullen, who tore shoulder ligaments against Cardiff last weekend, for the remainder of the season and Lima's arrival will help to offset that loss.

England coach Andy Robinson could find himself in the enviable position of having Jonny Wilkinson available for next week's Six Nations finale against Scotland.

Wilkinson is on course to make a Premiership comeback with Newcastle this Sunday. He is not in the Falcons starting line-up to face Harlequins at The Stoop but features among 11 replacements.