Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the London Irish are set to complete the signing of New Zealand fly half Chris Noakes before the end of the season as they keep rebuilding the side ahead of the new season of the English top flight.
Noakes currently plays for the Super Rugby club the Blues and the 28 year old is vastly experienced, having played for the likes of Bay of Plenty, the Highlanders and Otago. He made his debut for the Blues last season and the Exiles are considering him as a replacement for Ian Humphreys, who is rumored to be heading back to Ulster at the start of the new season.
The Kiwi suffered a serious shoulder injury which derailed his season with the Blues last season but he made a comeback to the Blues side just before the start of the season. However, with the fly half position stacked with big name players, Noakes finds himself on the fringes more often than not and he might just be tempted to join the London Irish as he targets more game time.
Brian Smith, the Director of Rugby of the Exiles sees many similarities between Humphreys and Noakes and their handling of the ball in tough situations is extremely similar. Moreover, Noakes has the ability to spread the play and that is an asset that will come in handy for the team as it looks to build for the long run.
And with his place in the Blues side still to be decided, the London Irish have moved in quickly to complete his signing in the face of stiff competition from other interested parties, all of whom are keen to add the explosive fly half to their side as they look to build up to the new season of domestic rugby.