We're very proud of him."Montgomerie is the captain of the Great Britain and Ireland side that will include Clarke and the Open champion, Paul Lawrie, to face the Continent of Europe in the Seve Ballesteros Trophy at Sunningdale in April. While Monty said all his eligible players were looking forward to the new event, his opposite number, Ballesteros, has a problem with Sergio Garcia.The young Spaniard was already committed to that week's US tour event although it is hard to believe he could turn down a personal approach from Seve Not that the former Ryder Cup captain wants to start a fuss. "I am very happy to have my own tournament and I don't want to have any controversy here again," Ballesteros said. "I haven't heard from Sergio so, officially, I don't know what his plans are If he does play, it is good. If he doesn't, there will be someone else who will be happy to be there.". There are not many people who can get away with calling Mick Galwey cute. There are not many people who can get away with calling Mick Galwey cute. The man is not huge, just as wide as a bus and as tall as a house, but that is big enough to put off most of us.But of course when he refers to himself as cute no one is going to argue with the Ireland lock.

At 33 he qualifies for the title veteran, although he is not the oldest in the Irish squad, that honour goes to the prop Peter Clohessy by some six months, but he is fitter than many of his age."It's no problem keeping fit," says Galwey, who has been around the Ireland side since 1991 "I am a bit more cute these days about training. I probably trained harder 10 years ago, but to less effect."He has also had a few breaks from the top-level stuff since he first pulled on the green jersey against France nine years ago. Injuries and occasional loss of form have contributed to Galwey's surprisingly modest total of 26 caps.It did not help that he missed out on the World Cup. "I had been injured and, to be fair, I was not exactly putting myself about in the shop window," he explains. "When I did not get in the squad I was disappointed and I did think that it was probably the end of the road for me as far as Ireland was concerned.

Fortunately, though, Munster gave me a new lease of life."Galwey is captain of Munster, who this season have taken Ireland and Europe by storm. In reaching the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup and lifting the Irish Inter-Provincial championship they have strung together 13 victories.Galwey certainly made his presence felt when he did return to action. "I had not wanted to be left having won 24 caps," says Galwey "Your 25th is a landmark. When I came on against England [in the opening game of the Six Nations' Championship] I was very pleased to get that one, even though it was in a 50-point drubbing."His selection for Saturday's Six Nations game against Italy at Lansdowne Road means it is the first time since 1994 that he will have started back-to-back matches in the championship.He scored a try against England, only his second for his country, but the one that gave him a big buzz was 12 days ago against Scotland. "We had five new caps in the side, and I felt like a new cap myself, because it was my first start in a Five or Six Nations match since I played against England at the opening of the 1995 tournament."Watching that game was Galwey's wife Joan and 10-month-old daughter Neasa. "I am not really superstitious but they will be watching me against Italy as well, because Neasa has not seen me lose a game yet," says Galwey, who then admits to saluting magpies every time he spots one and often ends up confusing people who think he is waving to them.The Scotland game was an improvement on the England match, in that Ireland ended a 12-year run without a victory over the Scots But that slaughter is not Galwey's worst memory.