Tongan international prop Halani Aulika signed a two-year contract with the club last March and joined Irish in July 2012.

The 28-year-old, who played at tight head for Tonga in the 2011 Rugby World Cup, is extremely powerful and will provide great flexibility being equally proficient at loose head. He played for the Highlanders in the 2011 Super Rugby campaign and for Otago in New Zealand's domestic competition scoring five tries.

He has been capped five times by Tonga, making his debut in August 2011 in the World Cup warm up fixture against Fiji.

Standing 6'1' tall and weighing over 19 stones, Halani will bring plenty of size and power to the Irish front row.

He only started playing rugby in 2009 when he was persuaded to join Auckland by Luke Mealamu (All Black hooker Kevin Mealamu's brother).