Newcastle, serial losers to Toulon when first Jonny Wilkinson and then Carl Hayman moved to the south of France, have returned the compliment by signing Hayman's replacement from the Top 14 club.
The arrival in the north-east of tight-head prop Tim Ryan was announced today when Newcastle listed those coming and going this summer. Compared to last year's mass migration, which included close on 40 players, today's list was relatively conservative, with 10 arriving and 10 departing.
Confirmed as leaving are: Adam Balding, Tom Biggs, Peter Browne, Spencer Davey, Hayman, Chris Micklewood, Rob Miller, Laurence Ovens, Mark Sorenson and Alex Walker. Arriving are: Ally Hogg (Edinburgh), Ryan, Jeremy Manning (Munster), Luke Eves (Bristol), Luke Fielden (Bedford), Glen Townson (Doncaster), James Hall (Coventry), Mark Wilson (Blaydon), Joe Graham (Tynedale) and James Fitzpatrick (Blaydon).
Ryan was part of the Toulon squad, including Wilkinson and another former Newcastle back, Tom May, that got to final of the European Challenge Cup and finished in second place in the Top 14. It was his first season in France after moving from Munster and much of the spade work for the transfer had, apparently, been done by Steve Bates before he was surprisingly sacked after keeping Newcastle in the Guinness Premiership despite having to build a new side from scratch.
However, today it was Bates successor, Alan Tait, who made the announcement about the 18-stone Munster man with the thankless task of replacing Hayman, still considered by many the best No3 in the world. "It's been a hell of a task trying to find a tight head of the quality that will help take this team on, but I'm more than satisfied that I've got my man," said Tait. "He still had a year left on his deal in Toulon and could well have just stuck it out there, but the fact that he has taken the decision to join us tells me a lot about his ambition and his desire to be a success at the top level. He feels at this stage of his career he should be getting regular rugby to fulfil his own personal ambitions with regards to being on the radar for the Ireland set-up."
The 26-year-old, who has signed a one-year deal, was part of the Munster team that stretched the All Blacks to the limit in Limerick last year. He was an Irish international at Under 19 and 18 level and came through the Munster ranks under the wing of John Hayes. Ryan appeared in all but one of Toulon's nine European matches.
"At 6ft 4 he is a massive physical specimen, " said Tait, who also has a promising tight head in Kieran Brookes, plus Hall, the new signing from Coventry, and England international Jon Golding at loose head. "People might say he has massive shoes to fill in replacing a legend like Carl Hayman, but the way I look at is that Carl is simply irreplaceable," said Tait. " Tim is his own man and his own player, he will do things in his own way, but I am more than confident he will have plenty to add to what we already have here in the propping department."
The first ripples of the Mike Brewer regime at Sale became apparent today when Lee Thomas, who only recently signed a two-year deal, packed his bags and headed off to the new French big spenders, Lyon.
Lyon had already signed the Sale flanker Luke Abraham, released at the end of the season, but caused something of a surprise by making 26-year-old Thomas part of next season's push for promotion to the Top 14 after the play-off defeat by La Rochelle.
The Irish lock, Christian Short, currently with Brive is among five other new signings.
