The cloying mud made a satisfying squelch, and pools of casual water glistened in the winter sunlight. Still, it wasn't cold, and for South Africa-born Shaun Payne that must have been a small mercy as he surveyed the conditions that greeted his first training session with the Ireland squad on Monday.

The ALSAA complex staged the one-day, two-session training stint, though there was a huge number of defections because of injury. The 28-year-old from Cape Town, a former Natal Shark, had an inkling over the past fortnight that Irish coach Warren Gatland had been keeping tabs on his progress. "I had a couple of hints, most from my coach at Swansea John Plumtree, that Warren had been inquiring about my form.

"He'd been to watch Swansea's European Cup pool match against Wasps, but I suspect that owed more to the presence of Rob Henderson than a desire to look at me. Still, I was pleasantly surprised when I received the phone call to join up with the Irish squad. My first impression was that there were an awful lot of injuries and the size of the squad was quite small.

"The guys were really nice to me, which helped: I found the skill levels very high, in what were very difficult conditions. It is a very professional set-up, which is great, and I was impressed with the whole thing."

Payne has applied for Irish citizenship - his grandmother hailed from Sligo - and while reluctant to outline his ambitions, a place in the Ireland A squad for the shadow Six Nations Championship "would be brilliant".

The South African is more comfortable with deeds rather than words and would prefer to be judged on the pitch.

"I've got to be realistic at this stage. I have goals and ambitions, but first I must prove myself. I went to the training sessions to try to make an impression. To make the A side in the New Year would be great. It would be ridiculous to talk about anything other than that."

Payne boasts an impressive pedigree. For three seasons (1997-99) he was the first choice right wing with the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup and with their Super 12 manifestation, the Coastal Sharks. "I cracked the first team initially for a couple of games in 1994 and 1995, but that was only as a youngster. It was from the end of 1996 that I won a starting place."

During his time in South Africa, he was occasionally spoken of as a potential Springbok, but national representative chances were limited to playing for the South African Sevens side.

Payne's rugby career began as a six-year-old and took him through secondary school. "My father was a hockey player but the family were fanatical rugby fans." On leaving, he completed his national service, an 18-month stint in the air force. "It was during that time that I really developed physically. I had been somewhat small in my school days."

He headed for the University of Natal before joining the Sharks' under-21 side and then the senior ranks. A phone call from Swansea coach Plumtree in October of 1999 - Payne had known him from his days as an under-20 player - finalised what had been a tentative discussion with his wife, Michelle, about heading to Europe. Plumtree offered a contract, Payne accepted.

The South African knew of his Irish heritage long before he arrived in Ireland with the Natal under-23s. He recalls a four-game tour, but very little else, other than that they lost the first game in Dublin.

Although he prefers the right wing, he is equally adept on the other flank, and when Swansea have been without their Welsh international midfield combination of Scott Gibbs and Mark Taylor, Payne has deputised very capably in the centre.

So what differences has he noticed between the hemispheres. "Physically the game is very similar, but in South Africa it's that little bit quicker: that is primarily down to the better weather."

Last Monday he made the desired impression, not just with management but with fellow players. His handling was assured and he was prepared to muck in. It's a decent start.