Aviva Premiership

Leicester Tigers have signed USA Eagles international Blaine Scully on a four-month contract.

Scully, who has 11 Test caps to his name, made his Tigers debut in their heavy pre-season defeat to Montpellier on Friday night having also featured in the Premiership Rugby 7s and director of rugby Richard Cockerill has seen enough to offer the traillist a short-term deal.

"He has been here for the last three weeks and he has fitted in really well," Cockerill told the Leicester Mercury. "He has worked very hard at his game and we have agreed a contract with him until the end of December. It is for four months and, if he pushes on, which we think he will, he obviously has a great opportunity to extend that for the rest of the season and beyond."

He added: "We are a little bit short in the back line and a body short than we would like to be. With Mat Tait having not done any pre-season yet and Anthony Allen (minor surgery) missing time too, we have been looking around and Blaine's name came up. He came well recommended from the USA coaches and we spoke to [USA Rugby chief executive] Nigel Melville too."