NEW prop Roberto Bussati has followed his close friend Sebastian Berti to Down Grange and he hopes to make an equally good impression as the Chilean fly-half.

Argentinian Bussati arrived in Basingstoke from Rhyl, north Wales, where he has been playing for the two months since a proposed trial and move to Penzance and Newlyn fell through.

That put the 34-year-old in limbo as he had left his serie B club in Italy, Reiti, where he played for a year, for the Cornish outfit.

He said: "I was disappointed when Penzance said they didn't want me to come for a trial. I had arrived in England and was all ready to go there when they said they didn't want me."

But ex-Penzance player Berti - who three weeks ago joined 'Stoke - alerted his new coach, Jim Dixon, to Bussati's availability and the Kiwi put the wheels in motion to secure the forward's services.

Since the 16-stone front-row forward decided to accept 'Stoke's offer, he has been lodging with the man he is replacing in the front row, the semi-retired Steve Hobden, and inside-centre Vincent Feausi.

Bussati, of Italian descent and the owner of an Italian passport, said: "I like what I have seen of Basingstoke and am happy to be here.

"The team and the club are full of very friendly people and I am looking forward to playing here. Rhyl was not such a good team for me.

"I can play anywhere in the front row - it is not a problem to me - and I've always been very lucky with injuries. I've never had one."

Bussati spoke fondly of the rugby education he received in his homeland from one of the South American's finest players, Arturo Orzabal.

He said: "He taught me all I know from the age of 15 - all about propping, pushing, gymnasium work - everything. I was very lucky to have this big and famous man teach me so much."

Bussati broke into the Neuquen club first team, who play in the north-west division in the Patagonian region, when he was 19 and stayed there for a decade.

Although excited by his new rugby challenge, Bussati said the worst thing is being away from his wife Maria and their three boys, aged 12, five and two - all of whom still live in Argentina.

"I miss them lots. It's very hard," he said.

But with his business background in insurance for IMG, he hopes to settle in the area quickly so that he can bring his family over.

The club are trying to arrange work for him and in the meantime, the martial arts expert - he is a third dan black belt and instructor in Okinawa karate - is hoping to find a club where he can teach local youngsters the sport.

Dixon hopes he has finally solved one of his side's problem positions.

He said: "It's very difficult to find front row players, so when Roberto became available we grabbed him quickly."