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Wasps' Josh Bassett has found a new club
By Ian Cameron
Wasps' winger Josh Bassett has become one of the first of the club's players to find a new home following the collapse of the Coventry-based Premiership outfit last week.
Bassett joins Harlequins with "immediate effect" until the end of the season as further cover for Quins’ backline, the club have confirmed.
Bassett, 30, has been one of the most consistent performers in the Gallagher Premiership since making his debut for Wasps in 2013.
Representing Wasps over 180 times and claiming 65 tries along the way, the 6ft 3in winger achieved the feat of representing England U20 whilst playing for original club Bedford in the Championship and was picked by England Head Coach Eddie Jones in June 2021 ahead of the team’s Summer Series Internationals.
Bassett is a strong presence under the high ball and has claimed a turnover every second game, as well as being in the top eight tackling wingers in the Premiership for the last two seasons.
“I’m excited to join Harlequins and am grateful for the opportunity to jump straight back into action with such a prestigious club," said Bassett. "Quins play an exciting brand of rugby and I’m looking forward to trying my hand at the Harlequins Way of playing.”
Harlequins Head Coach Tabai Matson said: “We continue to be saddened and have sympathy for all the players, coaches and staff at Wasps at this difficult time. We’re happy to be able to support Josh to maintain his career and to have such a high-class operator join the group at a time where we have backline injuries.
“Josh has been one of the most consistently high-performing wingers in the toughest league in the world and we count ourselves as extremely fortunate to have him join us.
“Josh has played in a Wasps team that has embraced a similar, attack-included mindset to our own philosophy and I’m sure he will slot into the Harlequins Way of doing things smoothly.”
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Latest Comments
You forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time.
Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
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