EDINBURGH have replenished their front-row stocks after the abrupt departure of Rory Sutherland to Worcester Warriors during the summer by signing Australian loose-head prop Harry Lloyd on a short-term deal until December.
The 26-year-old has joined the capital outfit from the Brumbies and will return to Australia to join Western Force for the 2022 Super Rugby AU tournament.
He will compete against Pierre Schoeman, Boan Venter and Sam Grahamslaw for game time.
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Lloyd has arrived in Edinburgh, having undergone a period of isolation, and will be available for selection for the upcoming pre-season match against Newcastle Falcons in the new stadium at Murrayfield on Saturday 11th September.
“I’ve really enjoyed being in Scotland so far. It’s exciting to be joining an ambitious group at what is such a great time for the club,” he said.
“The opportunity to test myself against quality opposition, alongside this great group of players, is a challenge that I’m looking forward to immensely.
“I’d never been to Scotland before, so it’s been brilliant exploring Edinburgh in the short time I’ve been here. It’s an incredible city, and the weather at the moment is definitely an added bonus.
“I can’t wait to pull on the jersey, represent this city and make sure we get off to a great start in the club’s new home.”
Head coach Mike Blair added: “Harry is an experienced player who’ll be a good fit for this team – we’re really happy that we’ve been able to add him to the squad on a short-term deal.
“He’s seen plenty of game time with the Brumbies and Western Force in recent seasons, so we’re hopeful that he can hit the ground running and contribute from the get-go.
“We’re delighted with the options we’ve currently got at loosehead, with Pierre Schoeman, Boan Venter and Sam Grahamslaw, however the addition of Harry only adds to the quality of that unit. That extra layer of cover and competition is vital in the professional game.”
A former Canberra Viking and Western District Lions captain, Lloyd represented the Brumbies at U20 level as well as the Australian Barbarians, before joining Western Force in 2019.
The St Edmunds College graduate made 24 appearances in Perth, in both Global Rapid Rugby and National Rugby Championship competitions, before returning to Canberra to join his boyhood club, Brumbies, in 2019-20.
Lloyd first wore the Brumbies jersey in round one against the Queensland Reds and went on to feature 17 times in the past two seasons of Super Rugby AU and Trans-Tasman rugby.
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Edinburgh has three loose-heads on their roster. They have at most 13 fixtures between now and the end of DEcember (including European ones).
Do they really need a fourth loose-head? I fear this is a case of spending money unnecessarily. There are a few players in the S6 squads who could cover the bench if needs be.
This signing is a waste of money.
if as Edinburgh expect Schoeman goes with Scotland, then one injury means one Loose head available. They needed another. An S6 player is however a good call, and I hope that was considered. All I can think is that this has been on the cards for a few weeks, maybe before we could see which S6 LH was up to the mark. I’d expect to see less of this sort of signing in future seasons