Target Thibaud will finish season at Wasps – Lee
THIBAUD Flament will complete the season with Wasps after being linked with a move back to his homeland of France.
The 23-year-old has been one of the breakthrough stars in the Gallagher Premiership this season emerging from the Wasps academy to make 16 senior appearances prior to the coronavirus-enforced break.
His athleticism and ability to play in the second and back rows is understood to have alerted the attentions of Top 14 powerhouses, Toulouse.
Unlike in England where the campaign was paused for 23 weeks ahead of next weekend’s return to action, the French season was cancelled in early June and clubs are preparing for the new season which kicks off in September.
Should Wasps fail to make the end-of-season play-offs, Flament would only miss four rounds at a potential new club in France, opening up the potential of him remaining with the Black and Golds until their 2019/20 business is concluded, before moving on.
Wasps head coach Lee Blackett confirmed the forward remains a part of the squad, and sprinkled some hopeful words regarding the player’s longer-term future.
“He’s still a part of our squad, he will be a part of our squad until the end of the season, at least,” he said. “There’s still a few things that will happen there but at this moment in time, he will see out the season with us.”
Earlier this week Blackett confirmed that another second row option, Will Rowlands, is also remaining with Wasps at least until the end of the season. He has been linked with a move to the Dragons as he bids to strengthen his international chances after making his Test debut for Wales in February.
Wasps lost rangy lock Charlie Matthews to Japanese side Kamaishi Seawaves when his two-year contract concluded during lockdown.
Another second row option, James Gaskell, has made just four appearances this season due to injury issues that rolled over into the lengthy break since Wasps’ last game in March. Although Blackett said earlier this week he expected the former Sale forward to be back in full training this week.
Captain Joe Launchbury is the leader of the second row pack which also includes academy graduate Tim Cardall, Theo Vukašinović - who joined from Championship club London Scottish last summer - and Myles Edwards, who recently arrived from Pro D2 club, Oyonnax.
Nevertheless, Flament’s continued presence in the Wasps squad will be significant boost for Blackett, who was promoted from interim to permanent head coach in April.
It was his predecessor Dai Young who gave Flament a senior chance after the Frenchman shone in the Premiership 7s last summer.
He started the first competitive game of the season against Saracens in September and was a try-scorer in a heavy home defeat to Saracens in the Premiership Cup. And he hasn’t looked back since then.
“He’s been good for us, he has been a great find,” said Blackett. “He has come through the academy, we had him playing in the A league last year, credit to Matt Everard (transposition coach) and Kev Harman (head of recruitment and academy), they picked him up and saw his talent.
“We brought him into pre-season training and day one you could see he was pretty special.”
Rumours of a summer switch to France strengthened when Flament, in an interview with AFP, said he dreamed of playing in the Top 14.
He said: I’m eyeing playing for France without any doubt. It would be great to play in a World Cup, and even more so in France.
“It’s my country’s league. I grew up with it, I dream about playing in the league.
“I’m really happy in the Premiership and I don’t wake up every morning saying ‘I absolutely have to go to the Top 14’.”