Wasps gamble on Vickery despite fitness concerns

ENGLAND prop Phil Vickery is set to be unveiled as a Wasps player this morning despite concerns over his fitness.

Vickery, 30, is not certain he will be able to play again after undergoing a third back operation in four years. He has been out of action since January and left Gloucester, his club if 11 years, earlier this month after failing to agree a new deal.

Gloucester had wanted to “spread the risk more evenly between club and player“. But Wasps have taken a gamble. Vickery, a World Cup winner with 47 England caps, would bring vast experience and much-needed scrummaging power to the Guinnness Premiership champions.

Meanwhile, Justin Marshall has completed a move from Leeds Tykes to Welsh regional side the Ospreys.

The former New Zealand scrum-half has signed a two-year contract with the Ospreys after requesting a move away from Headingley following the Tykes’ relegation from the Guinness Premiership.

The 32-year-old former All Black, who won 81 caps for New Zealand, had been the subject of intense interest from a number of clubs including French outfit Bourgoin and newly-promoted Harlequins, but he has opted for a move to south Wales instead.

Marshall admitted the Ospreys’ superb 20,000 seater Liberty Stadium, which they share with football team Swansea, was a factor in his decision to sign.

“The Ospreys are a team that are going places and I have been very impressed with their professionalism on and off the pitch,” said Marshall.

“They have a magnificent stadium, some of the best training facilities I’ve seen and a squad that I believe can compete with the best in Europe.”

The Ospreys are also thought to be close to signing 29-year-old former All Black flanker Jono Gibbes.

Meanwhile, former France fly-half Didier Camberabero is set to become Les Bleus’ new kicking coach ahead of the June tour to Romania and South Africa.

Camberabero scored 354 points in 36 matches for France between 1982 and 1993 and set a then world record for the number of points scored in an international, recording 30 against Zimbabwe in 1987.

Camberabero is currently assistant coach at the Metro-Racing club in Pro D2, and would be employed by the national team for just a couple of hours per week.

RBS 6 Nations champions France take on Romania in Bucharest on June 17 before travelling to South Africa on June 24.