Leinster have moved swiftly to fill the gaps in the pack left by the retirements of Reggie Corrigan and Will Green and the departure of Owen Finegan to Leicester Tigers.
In an attempt to bolster the frontrow after key departures, Michael Cheika has recruited Springbok Ollie Le Roux, Argentina prop Juan Francisco Gomez and Connacht's Irish-qualified South African tighthead Stephen Knoop.
Scrumhalf Chris Keane has also arrived from Connacht on a two-year deal.
The arrivals are in addition to the re-signing of Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings from Leicester.
Le Roux, who has been capped 54 times by the Spingboks and has just turned 34, has signed a one-year deal from Super 14 side Cheetahs.
Gomez comes from Los Matreros in Argentina after a loan spell with Stade Francais last year. Both he and Knoop have signed two-year deals.
Leinster have also confirmed professional contracts for Devin Toner, Kevin McLaughlin, Richie Leyden, Cillian Willis, Jonathan Sexton and Ross McCarron.
All 12 of the representatives who featured on the Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam winning squad have been signed up in the Leinster Academy for next season. They are; Cian Healy, Richard Sweeney, Jamie Hagan, Ruaidhri Murphy, Conor McInerney, Kevin Sheahan, Sean O'Brien, Paul O'Donohoe, Ian Keatley, Shane Monahan, Felix Jones and Kyle Tonetti.
Finegan will join the Heineken Cup finalists on a short-term contract. The 35-year-old former Australian international forward, who joined Cheika's side from Newcastle last year but struggled to really make an impact, will join Welsh hooker Mefin Davies at Welford Road.
Tigers forwards coach Richard Cockerill, who will take charge of the team at the start of next season before the arrival of new head coach Marcelo Loffreda, said: "Owen Finegan can cover a number of positions in the pack and he has just the sort of experience and leadership that we will need when we have so many senior players away at the World Cup at the start of next season.
"That experience is important to have around the squad, not just on the pitch on matchday, but also in training."
: Chris Whitaker, Cillian Willis, Chris Keane*, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Sexton, Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll, Christian Warner, Michael Berne, Shane Horgan, Denis Hickie, Rob Kearney, Gary Brown, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Ross McCarron
: Ronan McCormack, Stanley Wright, Bernard Jackman, Brian Blaney, Ollie le Roux*, Stephen Knoop*, Juan Francisco Gomez*, Trevor Hogan, Leo Cullen*, Malcolm O'Kelly, Devin Toner, Des Dillon, Stephen Keogh, Cameron Jowitt, Richie Leyden, Shane Jennings*, Keith Gleeson, Kevin McLaughlin, Jamie Heaslip
Andrew Dunne, John Lyne (both Connacht), Kieran Lewis, Niall Ronan (both Munster), Owen Finegan (Leicester Tigers), Robert Sweeney, Stephen Grissing (both Rotherham), Adam Byrnes, Harry Vermaas (undisclosed), Reggie Corrigan, Guy Easterby, Will Green, Ciaran Potts (all retired)
