Wasps fail in 'best efforts to keep' Flament as highly-rated lock agrees to join Toulouse
Thibaud Flament will swap Wasps for the Top14 at the end of the 2019-20 season. Wasps were keen to keep hold of the 23-year-old, but have failed in doing so, with Flament agreeing a three-year-deal with Toulouse.
The highly-rated lock played 16 times for Wasps having joined the senior academy for the 2019/20 season from Loughborough Students.
“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to keep him at the club Thibaud has decided to move onto pastures new for the 2020/21 season,” Wasps head coach Lee Blackett said.
“We are disappointed to lose Thibaud. Having joined our Senior Academy from Loughborough University, he has really developed his game and performed well for us throughout the current campaign.
“Nevertheless, we want to wish him all the best for his future career and put on record our thanks for the contribution he has made to Wasps Rugby.”
Toulouse President Didier Lacroix said the club had been tracking Flament’s progress for a while.
“Thibaud is one of those young players with great potential that we are following,” he said.
“It matches the playing philosophy advocated by our team and we can’t wait to see it evolve in our jersey. We are happy and proud that he has placed his trust in us for the next three seasons.
“By making his signature official, we are building the future with the 2023 World Cup in France in our sights.”
Flament, who will join Toulouse in October, thanked Wasps for the allowing him to realise a ‘childhood dream’.
“I would like to thank everyone at Wasps for their support during my time at the club, it has been an honour to wear the Black and Gold.
“Wasps will always stand out as a crucial club in my career, as it has allowed me to realise my childhood dream of becoming a professional rugby player.
? Wasps can today confirm that @Thibaud_Flament will be leaving the Club at the end of the current season.
? Thank you for your contribution to Wasps Rugby. We wish you all the best for your future career #OnceAWasp https://t.co/xPmL28E5zD
— Wasps Rugby (@WaspsRugby) August 17, 2020
“The coaches, the medical staff and the performance staff have always been available and massively helpful for my development and I am sure I would not be the player I am today without them.
“The quality of individuals here is second to none and Wasps will always remain an unforgettable club for me. I will of course continue to give my everything to the club for the remainder of the season.
“I wish everyone at Wasps all the best and I’m looking forward to crossing paths with the club again in the future.”
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments