London Welsh capture hard men Kirill Kulemin and Paulica Ion

London Welsh have plunged into the European transfer market and signed a pair of international forwards born behind the then Iron Curtain.
The Exiles have captured Russian lock Kirill Kulemin from Castres and Romanian prop Paulica Ion on a season-long loan from London Irish in readiness for their English Premiership debut. Their arrival will give the Welsh pack some of the grunt and muscle needed to compete at the highest level.
Kulemin is 6ft 6in and 20 stone, a second-row forward hardened during eight years exposure to the often brutal finishing school of the French Top 14.  The 31-year-old Muscovite is fit again after a long-term knee injury prevented him captaining his country at the World Cup.
Ion is 5ft 10in and 19 stone, a specialist tight-head and a veteran of the last three World Cups who ought to be in his prime at 29.  Capped 51 times by Romania, he knows all about the attritional nature of the Premiership having spent the last five seasons there – two at Bath, three at London Irish.
The Premiership newcomers are awaiting clearance to sign scrum-half Tyson Keats, a 31-year-old New Zealander from Christchurch. He played Super 14 for the Crusaders and Hurricanes before joining Aironi,  the  Italian franchise disbanded after two seasons at the bottom of the RaboDirect Pro 12.
Having inspired the Exiles to their place in the promised land, head coach Lyn Jones has reinforced his front-row resources by securing the transfer of former England Saxons hooker Neil Briggs.     The 27-year-old who made a name for himself at Sale returns to the Premiership after a season in France with Bourgoin.
Another significant Welsh ‘signing’ can also be revealed.    They have borrowed Russia’s Welsh coaching director Kingsley Jones, initially until October with a view to Jones returning after Russia’s autumn Tests against Canada and USA.
The arrangement, brokered by Steve Lewis in his role as London Welsh’s acting director of rugby, will give the Exiles’ head coach Lyn Jones a highly-qualified assistant in the club’s fight to defy the odds and survive among the England’s 12-club elite.
The former Wales captain knows what it takes to win the Premiership, having coached Sale to the title six years ago in tandem with Philippe Saint-Andre. “Kingsley will bring a huge amount of experience,” Lyn Jones said before speaking for the first time about the latest reinforcements headed by Kulemin.
“Kirill will prove to be a fine acquisition.  He will give us physicality, experience and quality.   He’s keen, very strong and very fit having played several games since his injury. He’s now in the process of settling in, ready for the start of the season.
“Tyson Keats is another experienced campaigner.   We have lost our scrum- halves from last season and we think Tyson will bring us something different.”
Welsh had already strengthened their back division with the earlier arrivals of Gavin Henson and utility back Tom Arscott from Worcester Warriors.  Both aim to be in the starting XV at the club’s new Oxford base for the challenging Premiership opener against Leicester on September 2.
PETER JACKSON