Thorn on his way to Leinster

Leinster have completed the signing of World Cup winner Brad Thorn on a three-month loan deal.



A three-month break in the Japanese League has paved the way for Thorn to join Leinster and after he expressed an interest in joining the Blues, officials worked hard to finalise details of the deal, which will see the 37-year-old swap Fukuoka Sanix Blues for the European Champions.

"It’s great to have Brad to help us through until the end of the season," Leinster coach Joe Schmidt said."After Leo’s (Cullen) injury and Steven Sykes’ return to South Africa we were short of options at second row, but Brad’s arrival will supplement the likes of Damian Browne, Devin Toner and Mark Flanagan, as we look ahead to a demanding few months."Obviously Brad won’t have a lot of time to find his feet, but I know the quality he brings and how keen he is to make a contribution both on and off the field."

Thorn won 49 caps for the All Blacks, culminating in last October's World Cup triumph after which he moved to Japanese club Fukuoka Sanix Blues.One of the most decorated players in the game Thorn became on the second man in history to have represented Australia in rugby league and New Zealand in rugby union. - http://www.setanta.com/