Harlequins' Louis Lynagh poised to quit the Premiership for URC

Louis Lynagh is edging towards the Harlequins exit door when his contract runs out at the end of the season at the Gallagher Premiership club and move to the United Rugby Championship.

The 23-year-old is set to follow in the footsteps of his father, Wallabies legend Michael, by joining Benetton, the Treviso franchise who have emerged as favourites to win the race for his signature.

The former England ag-grade international was born in Treviso in December 2000, the city where his father spent five seasons at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo after moving to play in Europe in 1991. Lynagh snr later played in London, the Rugby World Cup winner becoming Nigel Wray’s first major signing for Saracens.

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It was in the English capital that Lynagh jnr took his first steps in the game in Richmond’s minis section, but a move to Treviso from Harlequins could now settle the question of where Lynagh – who qualifies for England through residency, Australia through his father, Italy through his birth and his Italian-born mother – will pin his international colours.

The winger was first approached by Kieran Crowley two years ago about playing for the Azzurri. He was included by former England boss Eddie Jones in training squads but was never capped.

This season, Lynagh has made 14 appearances for Quins, who are second on the table and chasing Premiership leaders Northampton. He has scored five tries, two of which came in the win over Ulster in the Investec Champions Cup at the end of last month.

The scorer of another two tries when Harlequins beat Exeter in the 2021 Premiership Final, Lynagh has managed 27 tries in 58 appearances for the club but hasn’t agreed to a new deal to stay at the Twickenham Stoop beyond July.

Lynagh would complete an all-star Treviso back line that would include Rhyno Smith, Tommaso Menoncello, Malakai Fekitoa, Paolo Odogwu, Jacob Umaga and Alessandro Garbisi. The much-improved Italians are currently second to Leinster in this season’s URC.