The former All Black, Carlos Spencer, should provide Leinster and Munster fans with reason to have an early peek at their teams when Northampton arrive in Ireland next month as part of the pre-season friendly schedule.
At 29-years-old and with 35 New Zealand caps, the inventive Spencer still has much to offer the English side, which is also likely to have former Leinster centre David Quinlan and former Ulster centre Seamus Mallon in the squad.
There is even a possibility Quinlan's first match after leaving Leinster at the end of last season will be against his home province, although Northampton visit Munster first. The 26-year-old Quinlan joins Mallon, who after a frustrating season trying to get game time with Ulster, agreed terms earlier this month with the English team.
Munster, though, will get first bite of Northampton, at Thomond Park on August 19th, in an evening match before the side moves to Dublin. Leinster face the tourists on August 26th, again in an evening kick off at Donnybrook.
By that stage new Leinster coach Michael Cheika will have been able to cast an eye over his squad at least once in a competitive environment. The week before Northampton, August 20th, Leinster play Italian side Parma at a venue to be decided.
Because of work on the Donnybrook pitch, the match will take place at one of the province's club grounds. Leinster played two matches away from Donnybrook last season when they travelled to Navan and Castle Avenue for fixtures. There will be no pre-season tour this year.
Ulster have also arranged two home fixtures next month, the first against London Irish on Friday, August 19th, and the next a week later against Rotherham on August 26th, with both matches kicking off at 7.30 in Ravenhill Road.
The new London Irish coach, Brian Smith, will be returning to familiar ground. The former Ireland international was confirmed as the new director of rugby at the club when Conor O'Shea departed earlier this year for a job with the RFU.
Smith, who was capped by Australia and then controversially Ireland, has signed a three-year contract with London Irish following a year with Japanese club Ricoh.
The Rotherham friendly comes about from the connection with former Belfast Harlequins and Ballymena coach Andre Bester, who moved at the end of last season along with several Quins players.
Connacht will provide Parma with their first Irish match when they take the Italians to the Sportsground on Tuesday, August 16th, before meeting one of the strongest sides in Europe, Leicester, the following Friday (August 19th).
Meanwhile, former Ireland hooker and captain Keith Wood appears on the list of the 2005 Inductees to the International Rugby Hall of Fame that currently comprises 43 of the greatest names in the history of the game.
The International Rugby Hall of Fame Trust was created as a charitable trust in New Zealand in 1995 and the first induction took place in 1997, where among the original inductees were the likes of the All Black Colin Meads, Lions legends Gareth Edwards and Willie John McBride and the magical French full-back Serge Blanco.
The Hall of Fame Trust is independent of any rugby body. The short-list for the biennial induction is compiled via nominations from 35 senior rugby journalists from all over the world, and the final inductee list is decided by polling 12 Trustees of the International Rugby Hall of Fame, many of them current inductees.
INDUCTEES TO THE INTERNATIONAL RUGBY HALL OF FAME: Fred Allen (New Zealand); Phil Bennett (Wales); Andre Boniface (France); Naas Botha (South Africa); John Eales (Australia); Grant Fox (New Zealand); Dave Gallaher (New Zealand); Martin Johnson (England); Ian McGeechan (Scotland); Gwyn Nicholls (Wales); Francois Pienaar (South Africa); Keith Wood (Ireland).
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES: Leinster: v Parma, August 20th TBC; v Northampton August 26th, Donnybrook 7pm or 7.30pm. Ulster: v London Irish August 19th, 7.30 Ravenhill Road; v Rotherham August 26th, 7.30 Ravenhill Road. Connacht-v Parma, August 16th, Sportsground; v Leicester August 19th, Sportsground. Munster: v Northampton, August 19th, Thomond Park; v Leicester, Welford Road, August 26th.
