JUST DAYS AFTER they sealed their passage back to the top flight of English rugby, London Irish released the first of a cluster of announcements that will have supporters of the Exiles looking forward enthusiastically to next season.
Thanks to their victory over Yorkshire Carnegie in a two-legged Championship play-off, London Irish will be playing in the Aviva Premiership again for the 2017-18 campaign after a year in the second tier.
Firstly, director of rugby Nick Kennedy, defence coach Declan Danaher, skills coach Paul Hodgson and technical director Brendan Venter all extended their contracts with the club. Attention then turned to the playing staff.
By the time London Irish were eventually relegated last year, they had finished in the Premiership’s bottom three for three consecutive seasons. Having already added 10 new players in the past week, the club are clearly intent on experiencing better fortunes upon their return.
After announcing the signings of Gordon Reid, Lasha Lomidze and Ben Meehan on the first day of June, Petrus Du Plessis, Napolioni Nalaga, Luke McLean and Saia Fainga’a followed 24 hours later. The Exiles have since announced the additions of Manasa Saulo, Teofilo Paulo and Jake Schatz.
Schatz, a 26-year back-row forward who has been capped twice by the Wallabies, was a Super Rugby winner with the Queensland Reds in 2011. He also captained Australia’s U20s to the 2010 IRB Junior World Championship final, where they were beaten by New Zealand.
Another Wallaby heading to London Irish is Fainga’a. The 30-year-old hooker also won a Super Rugby title with Queensland Reds in 2011 and has been capped 36 times by Australia.
Nalaga joins the Premiership club after nearly a decade in France, most of which the 31-year-old Fijian winger spent with Clermont Auvergne. Top try-scorer in the Top 14 on three occasions, Nalaga scored 105 tries in 165 games during two stints with Clermont.
South African prop Du Plessis won his second European Champions Cup medal with Saracens last month. Elsewhere in the front row, former Glasgow Warriors prop Reid — a Guinness Pro12 winner in 2015 — has picked up 24 Scotland caps.
Lomidze, a 24-year-old back-row forward, has been capped 30 times by Georgia and has had spells in France with Montpellier and Beziers. Samoan international Paulo moves from Benetton Treviso to strengthen London Irish’s second row options, while Fijian international prop Saulo comes in after a spell at Toulon.
Versatile Italian back McLean also joins from Treviso and 24-year-old scrum-half Meehan — who began his professional career with NRL side Melbourne Storm — most recently played for Melbourne Rebels, having switched codes in 2013.
While some of London Irish’s new signings may already have passed the peak of their careers, there’s sufficient calibre there — with potentially even more to come — to create genuine cause for optimism for the club after a 12-month absence from the top table of English rugby.
