Things have been happening quite quickly for 19-year-old Jeremy Manning. It has always been that way.
Not so much a teenager in a hurry but one who has been watched closely moving forward, and one who has rarely failed to impress, even now in the early stages of his professional career.
At the weekend the Sunday papers were stalking him. By Wednesday his name was nowhere to be seen in the Munster squad of 24. But come yesterday the UCC outhalf was named on the panel of 22 for tomorrows Celtic League quarter-final against Edinburgh in Thomond Park.
Manning is the result of Munster's covert operations in the Southern Hemisphere. To their credit they have unearthed a gem which, according to Gary Byrne, director of rugby in UCC, is not even uncut.
"He's been fantastic for us this season," says Byrne. "It does not surprise me that he is on the squad. He has been running the show this year and is mature way beyond his years.
"His distribution is second to none and the expansive game, which we have been developing, he plays very well.
"We have found him very professionally minded and he's probably 80 to 85 per cent on the strike rate stats for kicking. He spends an awful lot of time on it and his commitment to his progression is huge. He's also very reflective and is always on the phone after a match looking for the DVD."
Manning comes in as cover for Paul Burke, who returns to the Munster side for a game that marks Alan Gaffney's last appearance at Thomond Park as team coach.
Manning is joined in the replacements by 23-year-old Eugene McGovern, who comes into the front row in place of Gordon McIlwham. Three of Munster's four Lions, John Hayes, Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan are in the starting line-up.
What is interesting about Manning is he has left New Zealand where his talents were also highly prized. He spent two years on the schools national team and was fully expected to make an impact at a higher level. Now playing with UCC and also part of the Munster Academy, the raid south seems already to have paid off.
"His stewardship of guys in front is a key factor in his game," says Byrne. "It is something that you would not normally see from a guy of his age. That type of game will lend itself to the set-up in the senior squad."
Meanwhile, Jonny Wilkinson will make his first start in seven weeks for Newcastle tomorrow after signing a new three-year deal to stay with the Falcons. The England outhalf is out to prove his fitness and form against London Irish as he bids for a Lions tour place after several injury setbacks.
"I've not felt this fit for a long, long time," said Wilkinson, who injured his knee against Harlequins last month but made a successful return off the bench against Northampton.
"There are no question marks over his fitness at all, and we look forward to him being part of a good team performance," said Newcastle's director of rugby Rob Andrew yesterday.
Wilkinson has not played international rugby since the Sydney World Cup final in November 2003. But Lions coach Clive Woodward says the 25-year-old can make his tour squad if he proves his fitness. In the 17 months since the World Cup, Wilkinson has suffered shoulder and bicep injuries as well as damaging knee ligaments.
MUNSTER (v Edinburgh): S Payne; J Kelly, M Mullins, R Henderson, A Horgan; P Burke, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, A Quinlan, D Wallace, A Foley (capt). Replacements: J Flannery, E McGovern, T Hogan, D Leamy, M Prendergast, P Devlin, J Manning.
