FORMER ULSTER AND Ireland out-half Paddy Jackson has signed for London Irish, the club confirmed today.
The 26-year-old had moved to France last year to play with Perpignan after being acquitted in the high-profile Belfast rape trial.
The 25-cap Ireland international exercised a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave the club after they finished bottom of the Top 14 and were relegated to ProD2 with just 12 points from 24 games.
London Irish were promoted from English rugby’s second tier this season and, playing in the Premiership, Jackson will link up with former Ulster coach Les Kiss and ex-Ireland boss Declan Kidney.
“Players of the calibre of Paddy Jackson do not become available very often and both myself and Les are looking forward to working with him in the future,” said director of rugby Kidney.
“He is a player with proven international quality who we feel will add value to our squad, and it is pleasing that Paddy sees London Irish as a part of his future.”
In addition to Jackson, Irish have recruited Sean O’Brien from Leinster, Alan Dell from Edinburgh and Waratahs’ trio Nick Phipps, Sekope Kepu and Curtis Riona.
Defence is the biggest difference that sexton ( and henshaw) will bring. Taking the line up is a very strong part of his game. Leinster over the past few months have been very passive in defence this has to stop. Seanie looks like he’s going to start ( not sure I’d go with that but hey) he needs to dominate contact, so far this year he’s been very passive, he’s not go the skills and ability of Max or the work rate of Ruddock so he needs his best game in about 2 seasons.
@Chris Mc: O’Brien shouldn’t start this game. He has no form at all. Leinster have plenty of practice winning massive games without him.
@grandslamkbo: I agree, my backrow who be Fardy, Conan and Ruddock. But it looks like Sean is starting.
@Chris Mc:
So Chris do you think J Lowe wont make the team , even if we need tries ::can you let us see your team ::thanks
@Martin Quinn: I never said lowe not to start. I wouldn’t pick O’Brien.
My team
Healy, Cronin Furlong
Ryan and toner
Fardy toner and Ruddock
McGrath and sexton
Henshaw ringrose in the centre
Lowe, Kearney and larmour
With Leinster back to more or less full strength they should have too much powder for Toulouse. It’ll be a cracking game but I think home advantage is worth around 7 and with the bookies calling it an 8 point Leinster win I’d say that’s about right, maybe even slightly more.
The two key factors will be the form of their returning key men – sexton and ringrose especially and secondly they need to tighten up defensively. They’re leaking on average 24 points a game over the last 7 games so if they can bring that number down then there should be handy enough winners against a young but very talented Toulouse side.
@Jim Demps: gun powder. Toulouse like leaking points as well haha
@Fred McHugh: they absolutely do but getting into a high scoring slug out wouldn’t be the best idea for Leinster. Structure and wear them down and they’ll walk it.
Your anti Leinster bias is old and predictable. You might pepper it with occasional compliments but everyone knows you can’t stand us.
At least some of us admit we can’t stand the other.
@Fred McHugh: apologies Fred that reply was meant for Jim Dumps.
@Baz Dunne: i thought you had me muted? Couldn’t go a week without me eh?
@Jim Demps: you get some amount of stick on here. Good job your not sensitive. Anyways tell your mob to keep up their end and we’ll see you in the final.
@Chris Mc: era I take no notice. If some grown man spends his day slinging insults at me then I figure let him at it, he can’t have too many important things going for him. Once they make it personal I normally just ignore them until they want to talk about rugby. The only person I’ve muted is Martin though.
I fully expect munster to win. It won’t be easy but the result is there for us if we show up.
@Chris Mc: bless you Chris you say every yr there’ll be an all Irish final and it never happens. Can’t see it happening this yr.. in fact I’d say Sarries v Toulouse is more likely than Leinster v Munster in my opinion.
@Jim Demps: He misses you Jim. Baz gets lonely with all those Dubs ; )
@Baz Dunne: It’s going to be a Munster vs.Leinster HC & Pro 14 final .Believe Baz , believe.Eire Abu !!Éire Abú!!!
@Baz Dunne: this is the third year in a row where both sides got to the semis. It might be this year, I hope so. As long as we win the 5th I’ll be ok but it would be so sweet to beat munster in the final.
@Baz Dunne:
Baz I hope are not annoyed with me, just because he has Muted me and not you, does not mean you need to up your game !! He does run away when things get hard and someone sees his hidden knife jabs at all things Leinster.
@Martin Quinn:
Just love his comments saying you are a “grown man spends his day slinging insults at me” Baz all your posts are about 2 sentence’s long and you post maybe 2 posts where his 10 posts a page tells it all >> One page had 28 posts ::WOW now he is hoping for the 42.ie to hire him ::the lad has a problem ::and he says you “cant have too many important things going for you”
Keep happy : ) ; )
@Fred McHugh:
Regarding the 24 points per game I feel we were through to the play off for all that time. I feel it would a lot less if we put a better team out, but it does not matter now as it all comes down to this weekend .
Regarding Munster
I believe Munster will bring out one of their famious European games and get through (and I may have a go at some posters but I will always cheer for Munster in these games) Wish you the very best
COYBIR
“We can’t kick loosely to them or their counter attack Will punish us.”
He has a tenacity to kick when there’s a need to keep possession, I hope he remembers this during the game. COYBIG
@Con Cussed: You really are concussed.
@Camroc: What for? This is the biggest weakness in his game, other scrum halfs too within the Irish setup, they keep kicking the ball away when we need to protect it. We often kick the ball to the opposition at crucial parts of the game (often the last few minutes) and have lost games as a result.
@Con Cussed: I think some of that is he’s trying to show joe he can do the Conor Murrary role. There’s a time and place for kicking the ball away and Luke’s not really a master at it.
@Con Cussed: Which games have we lost as a result?