To Falcons as Edinburgh prop agrees summer return to Premiership
moved on after Sean Everitt’s appointment and has been in a consultant director of rugby role with Newcastle since then.
De Bruin told the Newcastle Falcons website: “I’m very excited to be returning to the Gallagher Premiership, and to be working with Steve Diamond again.
“He’s a hard man but he’s very fair, and that’s all you can ask for.
“I really enjoyed my time playing in the Premiership with Leicester Tigers a few years back, and I was always keen to do it again if the opportunity came up.
“I’ve played against Newcastle a couple of times, and it’s always a tough battle. You know you’re going to get a hard, physical game, and you better be ready playing against any Falcons side.
“I know that’s the type of mentality I will find when I link up with Newcastle in the summer, especially with Dimes in charge. He’ll work us hard but we’ll have fun doing it, and he will put us on the path towards positive results. “I want to contribute in any way I can, and I love the physical side of the game.
“The dark arts of scrummaging, mauling and breakdown are where I can have the biggest impact, and I’ll just try to be a workhorse for the team. I pride myself on physicality and work ethic, so that’s what I will look to bring when I arrive.”
De Bruin (left) possesses that useful prop trait of being equally comfortable on either side of the scrum. He revealed he’ll be making the switch to Kingston Park primarily as a loosehead.
“I was a tighthead for a lot of my career earlier on, but when I moved to Leicester they saw me as a loosehead. I was a little bit wary at first but I had a good season there where I learned a lot, and loosehead is somewhere I enjoy playing now.”
And Diamond added: “I had Luan up at Edinburgh and he really impressed me during that time. We’re signing him predominantly as a loose-head, although he does have the ability to play on the other side.
“He comes with the right pedigree after playing at Leicester, Edinburgh and the Cheetahs, and he does the basics well. He’s got plenty of experience and he’s a great fit for Micky Ward’s forward pack. He’s a strong scrummager, defends well, he’s big and mobile and gets over the gain line with his carrying. I’m looking forward to working with him again and seeing the impact he can make for us.”