Ryan proved a huge success while at the London club on a temporary three week contract and played his final game for Irish last Saturday coming on as a 9th minute replacement for Leo Halavatau to make an immediate impact in the Adams Park encounter with London Wasps.

According to the match report on the official London Irish website, "The man on loan from Munster tore into the Wasps front row to earn Irish two penalties inside seven minutes."

Ryan, who also featured as a 58th minute replacement for Halavatau in the game against Saracens a week earlier, returned to Munster training this week while Cotter went in the other direction for a stint whose period will be determined on a week to week basis.

25 year old Cotter, from Limerick, came through the Munster Academy and his last game for Munster was in the A Interprovincial against Ulster a week ago.