MUNSTER HAVE CONFIRMED the signing of Michael Alaalatoa from Clermont Auvergne on a seven-month contract until the end of the 2025/26 season.

As reported by The 42′s Murray Kinsella yesterday, the former Leinster player joins Clayton McMillan’s side as they adjust to injury issues at tighthead.

Alaalatoa is currently on international duty with Manu Samoa and will commence his contract on Monday, December 1.

The 34-year-old tighthead prop is a 24-cap international who has played in two World Cups.

He made his Super Rugby debut for the Waratahs in 2014 before moving to the Crusaders in 2016, winning three Super Rugby titles and two Super Rugby Aotearoa Championships.

In his first spell in Ireland, Ala’alatoa scored six tries in 62 appearances for Leinster between 2021 and 2024.

Samoa international Alaalatoa coming into Munster means there is two non-Irish-qualified [NIQ] tightheads in Ireland at the same time, with France international Rabah Slimani already at Leinster.

Munster’s latest injury updates indicate that Oli Jager has been sidelined recently with a head injury, while his fellow tighthead Roman Salanoa is still aiming to work back to full fitness after a long-term knee injury.

Having been sidelined for two years after the 2023 URC final, Salanoa recently made a comeback with Nenagh in the All-Ireland League and played for Munster A, but it’s thought the province believe he requires further rehabilitation and conditioning work to prepare for senior professional rugby.

Until Ala’alatoa’s arrival, 37-year-old John Ryan is currently the only fully fit senior tighthead in the Munster squad, given that the inexperienced Conor Bartley has also been sidelined in recent months with a hamstring injury.

Academy tighthead Ronan Foxe has featured for the senior side in recent months and loosehead prop Kieran Ryan can also play on the tighthead side but has little experience there.