Wallaby star could join Premiership club
TRANSFER FOCUS: Wallaby halfback Nick Phipps could be set to make the switch to the Premiership.
According to Rugbypass the Waratahs No.9 is in advance talks with the Reading-based club London Irish.
The club currently have talented 20-year-old England U20s nine Rory Brand, fellow Australian Ben Meenan, as well as Scott Steele and veteran Brendan McKibbin in their scrumhalf larder.
The question is if the 70-cap Wallaby would move to England before or after the 2019 Rugby World Cup – which may well depend on whether or not he continues to be selected for the Wallabies leading into the tournament.
The veteran scrumhalf is currently playing second fiddle to Wallabies prefered No.9 Will Genia.
If the 30-year-old moves to the English club he would follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian scrumhalves Nic White and Nic Stirzaker, who both ply their trade in the Premiership.
Phipps could also potentially join fellow Wallaby Adam Coleman, who RugbyPass reported yesterday is top of their current forwards’ wishlist.
London Irish are set to bounce back up into the Premiership after a year in the Championship, and in the midst of serious rebuild – a rebuild that is being largely funded by the club’s share of the Premiership Rugby’s £200million minority stake sale to CVC Capital Partners.
RugbyPass also revealed that British and Irish Lions prop Allan Dell would join the London bound side, and the club confirmed it two days later.
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