The Ospreys, who clash with four-times Heineken Cup champions Toulouse in back-to-back Pool 2 contests over the next two weekends, have signed former All Blacks prop Campbell Johnstone to ease their front row crisis.
Johnstone, who made 14 Heineken Cup appearances for Biarritz Olympique in his three-year spell with the French club, has signed until the end of the season providing much needed cover for existing tight-heads Aaron Jarvis, Adam Jones and Joe Rees who are all ruled out with injury.
Capped three times by New Zealand in 2005, against Fiji and in two Tests against the British & Irish Lions, Johnstone left Biarritz in the summer, returning to New Zealand to play for Tasman in the ITM Cup.
And 32-year-old Johnstone, who played 38 times for Crusaders before signing for Biarritz in 2008, is set to immediately add to his Heineken Cup appearances against European giants Toulouse.
"Campbell will go straight into our ERC squad on his arrival," said Andy Lloyd, Rugby Operations Manager at the region.
"We remain entirely committed to development from within and don't take any decision to look outside the group for injury cover lightly.
"However, we have a responsibility to our supporters, management and directors to remain competitive, as well as to our players for their personal welfare.
"Given the complete lack of any professional experience in our remaining options there is quite simply no way we could go the rest of the season without bringing in additional cover.
"This autumn we have seen seven front five players from this region involved with the senior national squad, a contribution that we are justifiably proud of.
"However, the reality is that with so many players from one region featuring there can be a heavy price to pay in terms of injuries to the like of Aaron, Richard Hibbard and Alun Wyn Jones as well as the need to provide squad cover, both during the international period and when players return to the region unfit to play."
