Ex-England star in frame for Ireland squad after superb Munster debut

A quality signing it seems!

But in reality, it is a purchase that makes a tonne of sense, and makes you wonder why it hadn't happened sooner.

On top of being Irish qualified, Brookes has been playing at the highest level of club rugby over the last five seasons - in the Top 14, Champions Cup and Challenge Cup - for Toulon and then Perpignan; racking up 62 starts in 116 games, and an impressive 2308 minutes over the last two seasons with the latter club.

Ireland are not currently blessed with any top-quality scrummagers, and coming from the cauldron of the Top 14, where set-piece prowess is practically a non-negotiable, Brookes should excel at his new province.

Describing the top tier of French rugby, he said: “It’s a brilliant league; very, very competitive. There’s just no easy games. You’ve got 14 teams, most with full international, if not full 15s. So, no matter who you come up against, you’re always going to be in for a tough game."

And he didn't disappoint in his competitive Munster debut, showing all his set-piece nouse in their 20-26 home loss to Glasgow Warriors.

In the six scrums he faced, they won three, with one against the head, while he also chipped in with 10 tackles during his 52 minutes on the field, with Munster still leading when he was subbed off.

With a World Cup on the horizon, he is firmly a contender for Ireland game time.

In terms of his Irish eligibility, Brookes qualifies through his Mum.

Brookes initially played for the Ireland U18s, and a had a pre-season with the U20s, before Stuart Lancaster and England came calling.

He togged out for Newcastle, Northampton and Wasps; playing at the 2015 World Cup and winning 16 caps for England in the meantime, the last of which came in 2016, hence why it is once again within the rules for him to play for Ireland.