Munster on the trail of Cullen and Walker

Rugby News: Although chastened by Chris Latham's volte face after originally agreeing to join them, Munster have remain unbowed in their pursuit of a world-class finisher.

To that end, the All Blacks' all-time leading try-scorer Christian Cullen, and Australia's utility, goalkicking back Andrew Walker have emerged as their prime targets.

Although less inclined to publicise their intentions after their experiences with Latham, it is known that Munster coach Alan Gaffney - who is currently in his native Australia on a working holiday - travelled to Wellington last week for a meeting with Cullen.

It is believed that the meeting went very well, with Cullen quite receptive to the case made to him by Gaffney for relocating to Ireland with Munster, on foot of which Cullen's agent is reported to have travelled over to Ireland for further discussions with Munster officials yesterday.

The problem from Munster's perspective is that when aiming for frontline Test stars in their 20s such as Cullen, Latham and Walker, those players may at the time of negotiations appear to be on the periphery of their international teams, but they still nurture hopes of playing in the World Cup.

Cullen, though still only 27, has generally been out of favour with All Blacks coach John Mitchell, amid concerns that Cullen has lost a yard of pace since recovering from a knee injury last year. To some extent he may be suffering for his loyalty to the Wellington Hurricanes, though his Super 12 form held up pretty well this year.

Furthermore, the latest "headaches" to afflict his replacement as All Blacks full back, the unfortunate Leon MacDonald, raises serious doubts about the latter's playing future.

Cullen would, quite simply, be the biggest transfer coup in the professional era by any of the Irish provinces. He eclipsed Jeff Wilson as New Zealand's record try scorer last year when taking his tally to 46 tries in 57 Tests, making him the third highest try-scorer of all time in Test rugby behind David Campese and Rory Underwood.

Cullen wouldn't come cheap, but his arrival might generate additional sponsorship and marketing opportunities in its own right.

Munster might also have to wait on a commitment until after the World Cup, much as Leinster have done with the Puma outhalf Felipe Contepomi, but would surely feel it was well worth the wait.

A similar waiting game may have to apply with Walker, although he would seem to be more clearly out of the loop with regard to the Wallabies' World Cup plans.

Reconverted from rugby league, where he played for the Kangaroos, the 29-year-old hasn't really transferred some stunning Super 12 form and finishing with the ACT Brumbies to the Wallabies, more through an easy-going off-field nature than his performances.

Against that though, Walker is very friendly with the Munster captain Jim Williams, and indeed is well-known by Gaffney since breaking into first-grade rugby as a 17-year-old at Randwick in 1991, when Gaffney was coach at the Sydney club.

Accordingly, Gaffney and Williams met up with Walker in Australia last week with a view to enticing him to Munster and with less apparent hope of making the World Cup, it is believed that Walker is even keener on the move. However, negotiations with both parties are a long way from being completed and as the Latham example highlighted, until such time as a contract is signed, nothing can be assumed.

Meanwhile, the deadline for applications for the vacancy as Leinster's head coach following Matt Williams's departure to Scotland expired yesterday with no apparent heavy hitters having augmented the early frontrunners, Willie Anderson and John Connolly.

Anderson heads the list of domestic-based coaches while Connolly is one of several Australians to have applied for the job, another being Tim Lane, who has served time as back-up coach in the Australian under-19s, 21s and World Cup-winning squads and, after a stint at Montferrand, recently assisted Rudolf Streauli at the Springboks.

He has recently been released by the Springboks, and although he still has two years left on his contract with the Golden Cats, Lane has intimated to them that he is looking to return to the Northern Hemisphere. Despite this varied CV and though Lane is well regarded, such an apparent tendency to wander may not sit too well with Leinster and IRFU officials.

The Leinster position has also attracted interest from New Zealand, where it is believed that Ross Cooper, a one-time All Black selector and assistant to Lawrie Mains as well as coach to the Waikato Chiefs, has applied.

The Leinster Branch Chief Executive Mick Dawson, who is overseeing the process with the IRFU Director of Rugby Eddie Wigglesworth and the Leinster Provincial Management Committee chairman John Hussey, said they intend drawing up a shortlist by Sunday, though he was not inclined to put a timescale on the appointment.