Agony of final loss will help us next time says Haskell
Nick Verdier talks to a Wasps player eager to help end the club’s trophy drought
James Haskell has urged his Wasps’ teammates to find their ruthless edge if they are to go one step further in 2018 and claim their first silverware in a decade.
It was back in 2008 that Lawrence Dallaglio and Raphael Ibanez lifted the Premiership trophy at Twickenham. It was a glorious era for a club who had claimed four league titles and two Heineken Cups in the previous six seasons. Little did anyone suspect it would be the last trophy to date.
The club nearly went bust in 2012 but under the guidance of Dai Young and the backing of Derek Richardson, Wasps have returned to the top of English rugby. They reached the semi-finals of both Premiership and Champions Cup in 2016 before going one step further in making the Premiership final in May of this year.
A heart-breaking extra-time loss to Exeter meant another year without a trophy but Haskell is confident they can challenge once more.
He was back at HQ on Thursday for the Premiership launch and, as Saracens and England hooker Jamie George walked past, Haskell didn’t have to think for long when asked about how Wasps would get over the line once more.
“Winning trophies again will come down to ruthlessness and knowing how to manage those big games,” he told TRP. “We have to make sure we have the mental strength, like Sarries do, of not throwing games away.
“The final last season was the epitome of that in the sense that we didn’t do what we should have. I have to admit I haven’t wanted to watch the final again but the lessons from that game will be taken in.
“I don’t know if losing last year was the only way to learn. If we win the Premiership this season then I’ll tell you it was but if we don’t, no it wasn’t. One thing certain is that more of our players won’t be nervous about playing in a final.
“We’ve signed some good players and the boys are really keen to win some silverware. Everything has gone up a step in terms of professionalism at the club. Dai’s been really vigorous in installing that kind of mentality.”
The final came at the end of a few emotional weeks for Haskell who had to come to terms with never representing the Lions, missing out on the initial squad. But injury to Billy Vunipola earned him a call-up and he finished his season in New Zealand.
He didn’t manage to break into the Test team but he made four starts in midweek games against the Blues, Highlanders, Chiefs and Hurricanes. He said: “The whole experience of touring New Zealand where everybody lives and breathes rugby was truly amazing.
“I went to buy a bottle of water in a shop and I was served by an old lady who told me they’d figured out our blitz defence. You have to remind them they’re not on the field playing against you sometimes.
“They were a lot nicer when I was a Highlanders player myself. Seriously though, they were really nice and they took us a lot more seriously after that win against the Crusaders.”
Following the Lions tour, Haskell treated himself to five weeks off but the big flanker is back training and he is champing at the bit even if a finger injury will make for a delayed start to his season.
He added: “It was nice to have some time off but I’m grinding it out in training doing four sessions a day. Everyone thinks being injured you get a rest but that’s not the case.
“My finger is fine now but I won’t be ready to go for the start of the season. We’re looking at week three.”