EXCLUSIVE: Joe Cokanasiga's new club revealed

It looks as though Bath have won the race to land London Irish and former England U20 standout Joe Cokanasiga, per RugbyPass sources.

Bath had been in competition with both Wasps and Saracens for the wing, but it seems Todd Blackadder’s side have won out and, assuming Irish’s relegation, the 20-year-old will head to the Rec next season.

Cokanasiga, who came through the Irish academy and was part of the side which won the U18 Academy League in 2016, had recently signed a new deal at his boyhood club, but the deal included a relegation release clause in the contract.

Irish are not mathematically relegated yet and cannot be, no matter the permutation of results, this weekend, but they can two rounds from now, if results go against them. With Cokanasiga having been included multiple times in larger England training squads and taken on the summer tour to Argentina last year, his hopes of locking down a permanent spot in the side would not be helped by spending another season in the Greene King IPA Championship.

A move to Bath will see Cokanasiga fill the void created by Matt Banahan’s departure to West Country rivals Gloucester. He does not have the same positional versatility or experience as Banahan but brings his own set of skills to the position, including a size element that is hard to ignore.

He will give Blackadder a physical presence on the wing that he has not had since he coached Nemani Nadolo at the Crusaders and whilst still raw, the potential is clear to see.

Cokanasiga, whose father played for the Army rugby side, has previously said that Semesa Rokoduguni is one of the players in the game he looks up to, and now the pair will line up together in the Bath back three next season.