CLUB captain Joe Launchbury will never forget the pain of Wasps’ Premiership final defeat to Exeter in 2017 – despite his best efforts.
Launchbury is one of seven players from the Wasps matchday 23 which featured in their last Premiership final when Gareth Steenson’s boot secured the Chiefs‘ first and only league triumph.
Launchbury has used that disappointment to get some of his younger colleagues set for the big occasion and believes this year’s side are better prepared to take home the trophy.
The England second row told The Rugby Paper: “It’s a day I try not to think too much about! It was a day of disappointment and frustration.
“In the build-up, we felt a real sense of pride to be there. We played some fantastic rugby during the year with a ton of tries. Our form wasn’t the best heading into the play-offs and we just got past Leicester.
“The relief of getting to the final was huge and it’s one I won’t forget. It was a fantastic achievement and we were seconds away from winning it.
“This time feels different. We’re in great form coming into it and it was a fantastic win over Bristol. We’re all proud to get there but we aren’t content. We want to give a great account of ourselves at Twickenham and use 2017 as a bit of a learning curve to see how we can make the most of the big occasion, because they’re hard to get into.
“It’s taken three years to get back here and could’ve been even longer. You don’t get many of these and that’s what I keep telling the youngsters. They might get the impression that reaching finals is easy but it’s a tough league and it’s 12 months of work to get there, so you want to make sure you fire a big shot.”
Launchbury has been a key figure in Wasps’ run to the final, with head coach Lee Blackett stating that his captain is in his best ever form.
Launchbury insists there is more to come. “You’re never satisfied, are you? You’re always looking to improve. When you get a bit older you want to add bits to your game and not become one-dimensional and rest on what you’ve done.
“I feel in really good shape, the break during lockdown did me some good and I had chance to get some quality training work in away from the rigours of playing every week. I’ve come back with a renewed sense of energy and enjoyment towards the game.
“The results have helped and you feel like you’re playing a big part in that but the nuts and bolts of my game are in pretty good order and hopefully I can put in another big game this weekend.”
Wasps head into the final off the back of some incredible form that has seen them win 12 of their last 13 and Launchbury says having key men in top form has aided that remarkable run – along with greater competition for places.
“We were on a positive spin before lockdown,” said the 6ft 6ins lock. “We’d won those games and we’d talk about how we could keep it going.
“Since lockdown we’ve hit form and we’ve got key players playing well. That’s the biggest secret to success at the moment.
“Our playing personnel hasn’t changed massively in terms of those coming through the door. Ryan Mills came in and added a lot but unfortunately got injured and maybe through necessity of the schedule, we’ve played a lot of younger guys who have accelerated the group with their energy in training.
“Their no-fear attitude has been great and pushed the standards. Now there’s genuine competition between places. Each week you’re not 100 per cent sure who’s going to get picked. Guys understand the importance of having to play well or they might not be in the side the week after.”
Ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, Wasps lost a host of big names such as Elliot Daly, Nathan Hughes and Willie Le Roux.
And despite not replacing them, Launchbury insists it’s forced the squad to be more ‘collective’ this season.
“We lost a number of international-standard players who were big for us,” said Launchbury. “To lose them can always be seen as a disappointment but it meant we knew we had to become better as a team and fight for each other.
“There were times in the past where we maybe relied on that individual brilliance of guys like Christian Wade. Although we’ve still got fantastic players, we’ve had to create more of a team way of playing.
“I was close with all those guys but that’s the evolution of sport. What it now means though is that we have a young squad and lots of guys having come through the academy. Since the move to Coventry, we’re finally starting to see that influx of players again and many in the matchday 23 who are homegrown. We’re in a great place in terms of that age profile.”
At 29, 65-cap Launchbury is beginning to think about life after rugby, with his sights set on coaching, while his current role is also helping Wasps’ next crop become top-end Premiership players.
He said: “I’ve been hugely impressed with Tim Cardall. He’s 23 but he’ll go on to become a quality Premiership second row. He’s proved himself massively in the past few weeks.
“Alfie Barbeary only left school about 18 months ago and, despite being injured most of last year, he’s come in and done brilliantly. There are parts of his game at hooker which he wants to improve at the top level but in terms of a rugby player and his ability, it’s very exciting for the club. He’s one of a number and that’s probably spearheaded by Jacob Umaga.
“It takes someone like Jacob to get into the team with a run of games. Then the guys who he lives with, or his young mates in and around the squad, are like ‘I want a piece of that’ and it filters down.
“Charlie Atkinson (fly-half) is going to be a fantastic player coming straight out of school and these guys see no reason why they can’t push for a first-team spot. You can actually see that path now with young guys getting chances and that’s only going to be good for the next few years.”
Launchbury, who has been with Wasps for over a decade, insists that reaching the final this year is one of his greatest moments with the club.
“I’ve been here a long time and I’ve never seriously considered going elsewhere,” said Launchbury. “There have been a number of reasons for that and one is that it’s a club that means a lot to me. We’re always there or thereabouts – we’ve been in four of the last Premiership semi-finals and now this is our second final in that time. It’s a club I’m proud to be at and proud to captain of.”
Wasps could be without some big names for the final due to seven players testing positive for Coronavirus.
That news forced the players to self-isolate last week, hoping to return for a full week of training in the run-up to Saturday’s main event.
Launchbury said: “We have weekly tests and we’ve been fortunate not to pick up any positive cases so to get the news this week is disappointing this close to the final.
“These things happen and we’re very lucky that we’ve got fantastic medical staff who made good, quick decisions to get on top of it. We’ve stayed away from the training ground and away from one another to minimise the risk and hopefully we’ll be ready to crack on and train this week as normal.”
Launchbury could have a hectic schedule on his hands after the final, with an England call-up surely looming, followed by the 2020/21 season kicking off.
Many, including his boss Blackett, believe he should also be on the plane to South Africa in the summer with the British & Irish Lions.
Launchbury added: “I grew up watching England and I’ve always been desperate to play for England. I know that’s the only stage to get to the Lions so hopefully I get the opportunity to train and play for England over the next few months. That’s all I can do.
“You see how quickly things change at the moment so it’s still a long way away and there’s lots to focus on first, starting with this week.”
While fans won’t be able to pack out rugby’s HQ on Saturday, Launchbury paid special tribute to the Wasps faithful. He added: “We still understand what a massive deal it is for everyone associated with the club, most importantly the supporters. We’ve felt for them over the past few months. Hopefully we’ve put some smiles on faces recently and we know they’ll be roaring us on from home this Saturday.”
TOM VALE
