Aviva Premiership Rugby 2017/18 Season Preview - London Irish

IMAGE VIA LONDON IRISH

Stadium – Madejski Stadium

Director of Rugby – Nick Kennedy

Captain – TBC

Last Season – Promotion (Championship Champions)

INS & OUTS

Gaining promotion to Aviva Premiership Rugby on the first time of asking, London Irish has done some major recruitment bringing in 11 new teams including South African-born prop Petrus Du Plessis from Saracens.

INS – Darren Dawidiuk (Gloucester Rugby), Petrus Du Plessis (Saracens), Sia Fainga’a (Brumbies), Lasha Lomidze (Krasny Yar), Luke McLean (Beneton Treviso), Ben Meehan (Melbourne Rebels), Napolioni Nalaga (Lyon), Teofilo Paulo (Beneton Treviso), Gordon Reid (Glasgow Warriors), Manasa Saulo (Toulon), Jake Schatz (Melbourne Rebels).

OUTS – Darren Allinson (Bath Rugby), Gerard Ellis (Dragons Rugby), Luke Narraway (Coventry), Jerry Sexton (Jersey Reds), Jebb Sinclair, Joe Trayfoot, Tevita Koloamatangi, George Robson (all released), Tom Court (retired).

Verdict

It’s not going to be easy for Kennedy and his Irish team, but hopefully the Premiership experience of Du Plessis, experience of former All Blacks prop Ben Franks then adding Fijian flyer Napolioni Nalaga and promising winger Joe Cokanasiga (who's caught the eye of Eddie Jones) will be doing their best to stay up, but it might not be enough.

IMAGE VIA LONDON IRISH

Prediction – 12th