Christian Wade: Wasps' togetherness key to improvement

Christian Wade believes Wasps' togetherness will help them target the Aviva Premiership play-offs this season.

Dai Young's side finished in sixth place last season, just seven points off the top four, and missed out to eventual champions Toulon in the quarter-final stage of the Champions Cup.

Despite the improvement on previous years, Wade is confident it is just the start of good things to come for the side.

He said: "I think the boys are starting to realise the potential we have in the squad and anyone that we do bring in is only going to boost what we have.

"That's why from this year on the boys need to be targeting the top six as just the standard now and anything above that is something that we need to work towards as a given now as well.

"Likewise with the Champions Cup as well, that's something we need to start to push on in as well.

"I think we have to aim to win our pool. It's going to be a difficult one this year, we've got Toulon, Bath and Leinster so it's going to be difficult. If we get out of the pool then it is all to play for. My sprint coach used to say, 'just get to the final and anything can happen' so that's what I'm going to live by with that."

Wade joined the Wasps academy aged 18 and, as the winger enters his seventh season at the club, he says it's the team ethos that has helped him make Wasps home.

He said: "I think it's the togetherness we have as a team.

"I know you can go to other teams where there are lots of different cliques and stuff, everyone has their own small little groups and maybe some people don't like each other but since I've been here we've [been] very much a squad, everyone gets along with everyone well and when we're on the pitch we're all about hard work.

"Everyone wants to work hard for each other as well. That's what's good about the environment here."

However, the former England Sevens international feels that striking a balance between hard work and socialising is key for results.

"The socials, when you've had a few drinks stuff comes out and you get to see the real side of people and it brings you all together," added Wade.

"Obviously, those things are good at the right time but you don't want to be all about the social. At the end of the day, it is a business here and we've got a job to do. But yes, those kind of socials are key to get to know the boys.

"Even if it's not a social, if you've got new players and you just go for a coffee and a chat to get to know your team-mates, what they like, what gets them ticking? Sometimes it is just those small details that can make the difference on the field."

Wade failed to make Stuart Lancaster's 50-man preliminary World Cup squad, giving him a full pre-season with Wasps, a rare experience for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tourist but one he is looking to use to his full advantage.

Wade said: "I started in July so we've got a good three months. Obviously, I'm used to doing a summer tour or a Junior World Cup or something and then coming back around the end of July, just in time for the camp and then we're straight into games, like pre-season games, and then we're into the season. So I'm used to like four weeks of pre-season, now I'm doing 15 or 16 weeks!"

"I'm looking to, and I have already, work on the physical side of things. Just getting stronger and more powerful and up my speed as well because that's one thing I've been lacking in terms of the confidence side of things. From the outside it probably doesn't look like I'm slow or anything but I know I can be quicker and even more sharp.

"That's something I've been working on here, we haven't been able to do it because we haven't had the staff but now we've bolstered our S&C [strength and conditioning] side of things and we've got more coaches on the field as well so we're definitely heading in the right direction which is fantastic."

Christian Wade was speaking at the launch of Wasps' new Under Armour kit for the 2015/16 season www.waspsshop.co.uk which will be worn in the Singha 7s at the Ricoh Arena this Friday