WORLD Cup winner Malcolm Marx will not be joining Munster.
Marx, 28, had been linked with a move to the Reds, with reports suggesting the province had made a substantial bid for the world-class South Africa hooker.
However Munster defence coach Denis Leamy has this afternoon dismissed the rumours.
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"I'd like to work with Malcolm Marx, but there's nothing in it," confessed Leamy. "There's nothing there for us.
"No, that's not something that's happening, to be as clear about that as I can.
"Look, obviously we look in different areas of the market but that's not a conversation that's ongoing."
Marx had previously been linked with Clermont and currently plays for Japanese club Kubota Spears.
Munster are preparing for Saturday's Champions Cup clash with Northampton at Thomond Park and a victory should ensure passage into the knockout stages.
The in-form Reds are not ruling out forwards Diarmuid Barron and Josh Wycherley, who are doubts.
"Both lads trained today with white bibs on and they came through the session but we’ll see later in the week in terms of finalising that for definite," said Leamy.
"They’re still be monitored and we’ll check them again tomorrow morning and get feedback from the medical staff.
“We’ll see then but look, both guys are still in contention but we’ll be monitoring them going deep into the week."
Leamy welcomed the news that his former Munster team-mate Mossy Lawler is to return to the Reds from Connacht next season as skills coach.
“Yeah, it’s fantastic news," he said. "Wig (Rowntree) rang me on Saturday to give me the heads up that it was happening and it’s great.
"Mossy’s a great character, he was a terrific Munster man back in our playing days and it’s brilliant.
“He’s been coaching for seven or eight years up in Connacht now and doing a really, really good job.
"I often came up against him when I was working for Leinster in EPDO roles and our teams would often clash at Under-20 level and stuff like that and he always had a really good team and a really good outfit.
“It’s very exciting to get Mossy back and we’re really looking forward to working with him.”
Leamy acknowledged that, following last week's confirmation that out-half Ben Healy turned down a new deal with Munster to join Edinburgh next summer, contract negotiations with other players are ongoing.
"With the contract stuff, it's part of our business but we try to leave that to one side," he said.
"It's all about performance and what's in front of us, which is Northampton this weekend.
"There's contract talks ongoing all the time and that's dealt with by Wig and he takes care of that an awful lot.
"Thankfully, from my point of view as an assistant coach along with Mike Prendergast and Andi Kyriacou, we don't really have to focus on that.
"Wig will give us weekly updates or monthly updates on that sort of stuff. That business goes on but everyone focuses on one goal and that's performance."
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