Leinster

Born and raised in Sydney, Alaalatoa has been capped five times for Samoa, with his last game for the country coming in their 2019 Rugby World Cup pool stage defeat to Ireland.

He made his Super Rugby debut for the Waratahs in 2014 and moved to the Crusaders in 2016. He has since played 89 times for the club and won three Super Rugby titles as well as last year’s Super Rugby Aotearoa championship.

“It is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to join Leinster Rugby,” Alaalatoa said.

Beaten semi-finalists at the hands of Clermont Auvergne in April, Leinster will be a force to be reckoned with once more in 2017-18 if this success, achieved despite the absence of several pivotal players, is anything to go by.

Former Australia flanker Scott Fardy withdrew on Saturday due to personal reasons, adding to a lengthy list of unavailable stars that already included injured Ireland quartet Jonathan Sexton, Rob Kearney, Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip.