Australian international Rob Horne has snubbed the chance to join Munster on a two-year deal. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Munster's search for a replacement for the departing JJ Hanrahan has been dealt a major blow after Australian international Rob Horne rejected the province's offer of a two-year contract.

Munster were keen to sign the 25-year old, who has been capped 25 times by his country, and offered him a deal which was reportedly worth in excess of ¤500,000, but he has opted to remain with the Waratahs and the Wallabies.

Horne's decision comes as a welcome relief to Australia coach Michael Cheika as he faces the prospect of losing several key players to European clubs.

Hanrahan will join Northampton Saints at the end of the season and Munster are searching for a new centre.

Paddy Butler and Sean Dougall are also headed for the exit door, with Pau set to sign the back-row pair as well as New Zealand centre Conrad Smith, following this year's World Cup.

The French side, where former Munster backs coach Simon Mannix is 'sporting manager', are top of the Pro D2 - 11 points ahead Eddie O'Sullivan's Biarritz - and also include ex-Reds No 8 James Coughlan in their squad.

Like Hanrahan, Butler is a graduate from the Munster academy but he has struggled to break into the first team, and with the highly rated No 8 Jack O'Donoghue seen as a long-term option, the Tipperary native is thought to be seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Versatile

London Irish had showed an interest in the versatile back-row, who still has another year left to run on his contract, but he is poised to link up with Mannix and Coughlan at Pau.

Former Ireland U-19 player Dougall has struggled with injuries this season and has been limited to just five Pro12 appearances.

Meanwhile, half-backs Jack Carty, John Cooney and Caolin Blade are the latest Connacht players to commit their futures to the province.

Cooney, who was on a season-long loan from Leinster, has signed a permanent deal that will keep him at Connacht until at least 2016.

Carty and Blade have emerged from the Connacht academy as exciting prospects and both have signed two-year contract extensions that run until the summer of 2017.

"We're delighted to have secured these three players for the future," coach Pat Lam said.

"The fact that Jack, John and Caolin are all Irish-born half-backs under the age of 24 is a huge sign of the young talent and huge potential we have here at Connacht."

Irish Independent