Wasps lock Levi Douglas joins Toulon despite Launchbury's ACL injury

Wasps lock Levi Douglas has temporarily exchanged the Gallagher Premiership for the Top 14 after Lee Blackett allowed the second row head to Toulon until the end of the season as a medical joker despite the ACL injury suffered last weekend by skipper Joe Launchbury,

With just five games remaining, Wasps' hopes of challenging for the playoffs are beyond them, last year's beaten finalists instead restricted to making sure they qualify for next season's 24-team Heineken Champions Cup.  

Douglas appeared off the bench in last Sunday's home win over Bath as a replacement for the stricken Launchbury, whose serious injury ruined his hopes of selection for the Lions next Thursday when Warren Gatland selects his squad for the 2021 tour to South Africa. 

That run was the eleventh appearance this season for Douglas, his tenth in the league and his eighth appearance off of the Premiership bench. However, it will be his last this term as Wasps have opted to allow the 25-year-old to see out the season at Toulon who have six matches left before the Top 14 end-of-term playoffs.  

A statement from Toulon read: "England's Levi Douglas will join until the end of the season as a medical joker. Thus, he reinforces the Toulon second row and will compensate for the injury of Brian Alainu’uese.

"With many experiences in England, Levi Douglas has played eleven games this season with Wasps. Having previously played for Bath and London Scottish, he will discover for the first time in his career the Top 14 for the final sprint of the Toulon season."

Douglas is set to have an enjoyable short-term experience if the fleeting 2018 adventure of veteran Bristol lock Dave Attwood is a gauge. He had fallen out of love with rugby at Bath at the time but his few months inspired the rejuvenation that has vibrantly extended his career.