Top 5 Aviva Premiership 15/16 signings

Up and down the country, preseason training has already begun for the Aviva Premiership teams ahead of the 2015/16 season.

This is usually the point in the year which signals the end of the majority of clubs’ transfer dealings for the upcoming campaign, with just a few signings here and there yet to be confirmed.

We have cast our eye over this year’s additions and have come up with what we believe to be the top five pieces of business done by Premiership clubs going into the 2015/16 season.

5. Brendon O’Connor, Leicester Tigers

O’Connor will arrive at Welford Road fresh from winning the Blues’ Most Valuable Player and Players’ Player of the Year awards, and enjoyed a sterling season for the Blues, albeit with the Auckland-based franchise having endured yet another dire Super Rugby campaign.

The openside flanker outshone many of his more illustrious back row colleagues, including Jerome Kaino, Steven Luatua and Luke Braid. His arrival in the East Midlands should help fill the void left by Julian Salvi, who has upped sticks and joined former teammate Thomas Waldrom at the Exeter Chiefs.

Only time will tell how long O’Connor takes to adapt to the way in which the breakdown is refereed in the northern hemisphere, but there’s a very good chance he will quickly become a centrepiece of Aaron Mauger’s new-look Leicester side, and as an English Qualified Player (EQP) thanks to one of his relatives, would not qualify as a foreign player for the Tigers.

4. James Johnston, Wasps

For years after their last Premiership triumph in 2008, Wasps struggled to build a competitive scrum and it was often the on-field Achilles heel which saw them plummet towards the bottom of the Premiership. Times have changed however and the club has developed a formidable front row over the last couple of seasons, and Johnston’s addition could be the final building block that turns it into a truly dominant unit.

The big Samoan tighthead hasn’t had the impact he would have liked since joining Saracens from Harlequins, often having to make do with being second or third choice in a talented front row in North London. With Juan Figallo and Petrus du Plessis impressing, Kieran Longbottom set to return from injury and youngster Biyi Alo making waves, Saracens couldn’t really afford to keep Johnston.

Johnston will compete with Lorenzo Cittadini for the starting role in Coventry, but regardless of who earns the nod to start, his arrival gives Wasps a depth in the front row that they have not enjoyed for a very long time.

3. Geoff Parling, Exeter Chiefs

There are no shortage of exciting additions down at Sandy Park this season, including Julian Salvi, Michele Campagnaro and rugby league convert Josh Jones, but in Parling they have found a ready-made replacement for their biggest loss from last season, Dean Mumm.

With Parling turning 32 years of age next season, not only does he bring a wealth of experience with him to the South West, but could be available for the entire season if, as expected, England forge ahead with younger options at his position as they build towards the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Parling’s arrival will immediately bolster Exeter’s lineout and should help hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie’s development at the set-piece, whilst also giving a solid foundation for the Chiefs’ ever-improving back line to work their magic.

2. Jamie Roberts, Harlequins

Harlequins finally bit the bullet this season and accepted they can’t build a title-challenging side purely from their own academy, no matter how productive it may be. The likes of Adam Jones, Tim Visser and James Horwill will all be moving to The Stoop this coming season, but it is Roberts who should offer Quins fans the most to be excited about.

One of the main missing ingredients for Quins last season was the bluntness of their midfield, which rarely offered much penetration, often leaving their back three very little to work with. Roberts is no Conrad Smith, capable of unlocking a defence with the most exquisite of passes, but his ability to consistently break the gain line should open up games and suit Quins’ more expansive style.

The trio of George Lowe, Jordan Turner-Hall and Harry Sloan will look to partner Roberts in Quins’ redesigned midfield, and should offer enough versatility to turn an area of weakness in 2014/15, into one of strength for the 2015/16 season.

1. Matt Symons, London Irish

Symons move to London Irish has not been lauded as much as some of the aforementioned signings, but it really should be. The Englishman has played a starring role with the Chiefs over the last two seasons, also captaining them this season before injury curtailed his campaign.

At just 25 years of age, Symons, unlike many of the players heading north from Super Rugby this season, is only just beginning to enter his prime and is the perfect player for Irish to build around as they look to return to the top of the Premiership over the coming seasons.

Physically and technically gifted, Symons offers everything a team looks for in a modern lock. Given that he garnered enough respect to captain the Chiefs in just a short spell at the club, Tom Coventry, for whom he played under in New Zealand, should have him earmarked as a potential long-term captain for Irish.

Honourable Mentions

Peter Betham, Opeti Fonua (both Leicester Tigers), Ben Franks (London Irish), Frank Halai (Wasps), JJ Hanrahan (Northampton Saints), Bryce Heem (Worcester Warriors), Paul Hill (Northampton Saints), Josh Jones (Exeter Chiefs), Nili Latu (Newcastle Falcons), Nikola Matawalu, Rhys Priestland (both Bath), George Smith (Wasps), Jeremy Thrush (Gloucester).