When Clive Woodward came bearing gifts in 2000 for two of the highest profile rugby league players, Gary Connolly and Jason Robinson, in a bid to get them to switch to rugby union, Connolly thought about it but ignored the English coach's carrot.

He said his farewells to Robinson as he went on his journey south and watched as the fullback picked up a World Cup winner's medal with England.

A few years later it was Mike Ford, the former Wigan and Oldham scrumhalf and the then highly-regarded defensive coach for Ireland, who sounded out the league backline player. Connolly again declined to change codes.

It took the sweet talk of Declan Kidney, and perhaps the relegation of Super League club Widnes at the end of 2005, to finally coax him to cross the water. It was later than had been hoped for, from an Irish point of view, but with two tries in his first outing against Connacht, Connolly hasn't been slow to ease any lingering Munster anxieties that their gamble, on a player in the twilight of his career, has promise.

It was never a case that Connolly would not move from league to union but simply a matter of timing. Having flirted with the 15-man game on two occasions previously, Munster's inventive bid for him out of the blue, as well as for South African Anthon Pitout, gave the Britain player the opportunity to finally realise something he'd been thinking about for some years.

His four-month contract with Munster is not only a chance to fill the shoes of the injured Christian Cullen and Mike Mullins but to play Heineken European Cup rugby with one of the most venerable sides in the competition.

"I played union with Orrell in 2000 and with Harlequins in 1996. But in total I've probably played just 20 games of union in my entire career," says Connolly in a deep, candid, northern-England murmur.

"It's a learning curve to be honest and I don't really know what to compare it to. Last time I played union I can't remember how it really was. I'm still on the learning curve, at least that's how I would see it at this point."

Connolly at outside centre hopes to give Munster a try-scoring edge and although making the adjustment from the league positions of fullback or centre is probably the most straight forward of all positions, it is not a seamless transition.

"There is a slight difference in defence but it is not that different," he says. "Outside centre is probably the easiest position to adjust to. Forwards tend to find it harder to make the adjustment. It is different but it's not too bad. The rucks and mauls can be strange because we don't have rucks and mauls in league so that is an area that I have to adjust more to and learn more about."

Former league international Graham Steadman, who was unceremoniously nicked from Munster by Ireland when Mike Ford departed from his defensive coaching position, has eased Connolly's transition. The two worked together in league and Steadman would have been a convenient sounding board.

"It does help to know the coach. I worked with him before and yeh, it does make it easier. Obviously I knew what he was about. We know each other going back years," says Connolly.

With the European Cup looming he is not exaggerating the severity of the learning curve. It's another step up but so far the hastily arranged marriage is harmonious.

"Sure it was nice to get two tries first time out as well as get off to a winning start and to get on to the pitch with the other guys and get involved in a match," he says." But it's not going to be like that every time out."

About 30 minutes training is how Kidney described Connolly's preparation for the Connacht game. There were some rough edges with the tries but Kidney was not chasing banner headlines just yet for his new recruit.

"I'm trying to pick up the game as early as I can," says Connolly. "I'm trying to go out an enjoy it. I believe that if you can enjoy your rugby, then you will play good rugby. I'm pretty much relaxed about it."

At 34 you would think that might be his prime motivation.