Although he was passed fit after recovering from a thumb injury, Staunton was not named in the Wasps squad for the Heineken Cup
Final,  and Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan felt that without any recent match practice, he would benefit more from playing games in the Churchill Cup.
"Jeremy has not played in some time," explained O'Sullivan, " and with no game time I thought it would be better for him to get some match practice with the A team.