Haskell to decide between two clubs - reports

Wasps and England flanker James Haskell is set to pick between offers from two clubs – according to reports this week.

It was confirmed this month that the 6’4, 114kg looseforward will exit Wasps at the end of the season, but which club will win the battle for his signature has yet to be decided.

The club will be in the Premiership according to Haskell.

“My priority is to stay in the Premiership,” Haskell told Sky Sports yesterday. “I have just got to make sure the next step is to go to a club where I want to play good rugby, where I will enjoy myself and most importantly will keep getting better and put myself into the frame for England.

“If the club goes well then you will be in a position to play [for England] and that is my priority. If I manage to make it to 2019 then brilliant but if that door closes then you have got [to have] other options at your disposal.”

While Haskell described himself as “disappointed and sad” at his release from Wasps, if the RugbyPod are to be believed Haskell will ultimately have to decide between two clubs, Bristol and Northampton.

According to The Rugby Pod, Northampton and not Bristol are favourites to win the race for the 75 times capped backrow.

“Northampton again is rearing its head,” Andy Goode told the podcast. “Bristols (sic) is an option, but I think he wants a higher level. I don’t mean that badly against Bristol but he wants to compete, in the top six. Hopefully with Chris Boyd coming next year and couple of signing they can make a difference.”

Former Northampton prop Alex Corbisero said of Haskell moving to his former club: “I think it’s a good play for him. It’s an easy move from where they live, it’s commutable from him and Chloey live.”

The boys also pondered Stuart Hogg’s speculated €1 million euro mega deal move to Montpellier in France, which was reported at the weekend.

The pod also discussed Leicester Tigers appointing Mark Bakewell as the club’s new forwards coach, which was confirmed this morning.

New Zealand-born Bakewell has a coaching career spanning 23 years, working all over the world, and will begin work with the Tigers squad this week after moving from Bristol Rugby.

He was head coach of Brive in France and then forwards coach at Beziers before spending three years in the Premiership with Bath. Subsequent moves have taken him to Melbourne Rebels, Eastern Suburbs again, Tonga and Suntory Sungoliath in Japan.