Ex-Wasps get a buzz at Bristol

WITH only those clubs fighting post-season play-off campaigns still active, the vast majority of professional players have cleared their lockers and headed to the beach.

However, this is also a time when squads for next season are finalised, which means signing and departure announcements come thick and fast.

Compared with recent seasons, Dai Young’s Wasps have been relatively inactive – at least to date – in confirming the arrival of four players and the departure of six. Young’s revelation that double champions Saracens have 24 players with upwards of seven years’ service confirms that a reduced player turnover rate should be viewed positively.

However, for a newly promoted or relegated club huge change is an inevitable fact of life, as Bristol’s recent announcement showed.

Departing Wasp Alapati Leuia is one of incoming Ashton Gate rugby director Pat Lam’s higher profile signings for next season.

But should the clubs meet again in pre-season as they did this year, Leiua will far from the only Bristolian for whom a few of the opposition’s calls may sound familiar.

His potential centre partner Siale Piutau, who joined Bristol when the Japanese league ended in February, spent the second half of last season at the Ricoh. And if either gets injured, another former Wasps Pacific Islander, David Lemi, is ready to step in.

Outside them, former blackand-gold favourite, Tom Varndell, may not be adding to his Premiership try-scoring record, but few would bet against him racking up plenty of touchdowns against Championship defences.

And even Bristol’s academy will have a Wasps flavour, thanks to the arrival of second row Ehize Ehizode, who has moved on after one year in Coventry.

The three spire city connection is further extended by the presence of hooker Ross McMillan and centre Will Hurrell, both of whom had spells at the Butts Park Arena.

And of course, and maybe at the root of this strong Wasps link is the presence in a behind-thescenes role of current interim head coach Mark Tainton, who last year worked with Dai Young and Lee Blackett as a kicking specialist. Bristol will however have one fewer Coventry connection due to the departure of Bablake product and former England fly half Shane Geraghty.