FORMER GLOUCESTER WINGER Shane Monahan will provide wing cover for Munster during the World Cup, with the 28-year-old set to sign a short-term deal.

Monahan left the European Challenge Cup winners at the end of the season, having fallen out of favour with Director of Rugby David Humphreys, and had been training with the Irish Sevens squad throughout the summer.

The former Irish u20 star began training with Munster in the past week, with seven of their players away in the International camp, and it’s believed that he has since been offered a three month contract to provide cover during the tournament, with Simon Zebo, Keith Earls and Felix Jones all in contention to travel with Ireland.

The news has not yet been confirmed by Munster, but it’s believed that both player and province have agreed a three-month deal, with the former Leinster and Connacht man aiming to impress enough to secure a longer deal thereafter.

After failing to make the breakthrough at Leinser and Connacht early in his career, Monahan joined Rotherham Titans in 2011, scoring 11 tries in his debut season and eventually being picked up by Premiership side Gloucester.

However, after establishing himself as a first team regular in his first two seasons, Monahan fell out of favour with the arrival of new Director of Rugby David Humphreys in 2014, before departing the club at the end of the season.

‘It would have been fairer if I got more rugby than I did’ – Shane Monahan on Gloucester exit

Twickenham trials Hawkeye technology to assist concussion diagnosis