Richards has missed the last five London Irish matches due to injury

A hand injury will keep London Irish scrum-half Peter Richards out of action until mid-January.

Richards fractured the scaphoid bone in his right hand during Irish's match against Rovigo in October.

An operation was carried out to insert a pin in the broken bone, which will now take up to six weeks to mend.

Meanwhile, the Exiles have confirmed that Argentine scrum-half Alfredo Lalanne has signed to stay at the club until the end of the season.

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