Watson, Harris and Harris sign for Wasps

Newcastle wing Marcus Watson is one of three players to be joining Wasps ahead of the 2017/18 season.
He will be joined by his Falcons teammate Ben Harris as well as Nottingham hooker Antonio ‘TJ’ Harris in securing a move to Coventry.
Watson’s move to Wasps was first revealed by The Rugby Paper on December 18 in the Fissler Files and ‘TJ’ Harris’ transfer was broken by Jon Newcombe in The Rugby Paper on February 12.
The older brother of England wing Anthony, won a silver medal with Team GB at the Rio Olympics last summer and had stints with London Irish and Saracens before joining Newcastle in 2015.
Loosehead Harris will return to Wasps next season, having impressed during a short-term loan stint with the club at the end of 2016.
The 27-year-old former England Counties prop previously represented Yorkshire Carnegie and Rotherham Titans before joining the Falcons.
‘TJ’ Harris is known for his explosive power and came off the bench against Yorkshire Carnegie on Boxing Day to secure a hat-trick of tries inside 10 minutes.
The 21-year-old signed for Nottingham from Bedford two years ago and has scored seven tries in 18 appearances so far this season.
Watson said: “Firstly, I’d like to say thanks to all the coaches, staff and fans at Newcastle for giving me an opportunity to return from 7’s to the Premiership.  I have really enjoyed my time with the club and look forward to helping them finish the season on a high.
“Wasps are a club playing hugely exciting and expansive rugby at the top of the Aviva Premiership and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to be part of that next season.  Every player wants to be able compete for trophies in their career and I believe I can do this both domestically and in Europe with Wasps, which is really exciting!”
Ben Harris added: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Newcastle Falcons and would like to thank the club and coaches for giving me the opportunity to play in the Premiership. There’s a great set of lads and supporters at the Falcons and I really appreciate the support Micky Ward and Scott Macleod have given me with my game. For the rest of the season, I will be doing everything I can to help the Falcons continue the good run we’re on.
“I’m really looking forward to being part of the environment and set-up that Wasps are creating in Coventry. Being able to develop my game under the tutelage of Dai Young, as both a Director of Rugby and a world class prop, is a huge draw. I’m excited to see how I can improve as a player and what part I can play as the squad continues to build on the performances they’ve already produced this season.”
TJ Harris said: “First of all, I’d like to thank Nottingham Rugby Club and all the members of staff involved who have helped & supported me for my two seasons at the club. When I was offered the opportunity to join Wasps, I couldn’t resist as I’d have the chance to join a fantastic club, competing at the top of the Premiership, and move back home to Coventry.
“I understand how much hard work and responsibility will be needed once I move, but I will take that as a challenge. It will be brilliant to be around so many talented players and hopefully I will be able to learn from them and develop my game as much as possible, to be able to help the team succeed.”
Wasps Director of Rugby, Dai Young added: “We’re pleased to bolster our front row options for next season, with the addition of Ben Harris and TJ Harris. We already know a lot about Ben and believe he has real potential at this level. TJ Harris has also impressed us in the Championship and we think he still has lots of growth in him. At only 22, he will only get better and we’re sure they will both become valuable members of our squad.
“Marcus Watson will be another exciting addition to our backline. Everyone has seen how Wasps like to play rugby. We always want an exciting back three, with pace on the wing, as we feel we have great distributors in our inside backs so we want to make sure we have deadly finishers to execute the chances they create. Marcus certainly fits into that category brilliantly, as he has shown already at international level on the 7s circuit and in the Aviva Premiership.
“Every squad is ambitious to evolve and improve, so it’s important to keep one eye on the future and make sure all the building blocks are in place to continue the squad’s progression.
“I’m already very happy with the squad we have developed here at Wasps and we’re now in a place where we only need to make a handful of new signings, rather than 12-13 as in previous years.
“Continuity is really important, so it’s very much a case of adding to the talent we already have and making sure we have at least two quality players in each position, to provide the depth needed to be consistently competitive at the highest level.
“For the players, the focus is very much on what can be achieved this season and ensuring we improve our performances, so we’re still fighting at the top of the Premiership come the business end of the season.”