Glenn Delaney has stated that the Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the London Irish has not made any mistake by signing Halani Aulika a new three year contract to remain at the club.
The Tonga international prop has not played for the Exiles since sustaining an Achilles injury early in September in just the third game of the season for the club and he is not expected to return to the Exiles fold till at least the start of the new season.
The prop’s previous contract was scheduled to run out at the end of the current season while the new three year deal he has penned will see him remain at the club till the end of the 2016/17 season.
And Delaney, the forwards coach of the London Irish has stated that he doesn’t think the club has taken a huge gamble in giving him a renewed deal at all. He mentioned that injuries to rugby players are quite normal and it happens all the time.
He mentioned that they have had plenty of players to be ruled out for an entire season and stated that it is one of those things that are not in the hands of anyone. Delaney mentioned that when someone plays a sport like rugby, injuries are a part of the game and one just has to accept it as normal.
However, Delaney also mentioned that Aulika was the heartbeat of a lot of the great things the London Irish have done over the past couple of seasons and he was in fine form at the start of this season as well before he got injured.
The coach mentioned that he’s delighted the player is staying at the club adding that he loves having him around and knows for a fact that Aulika himself wants to stay.