Promising London Wasps back row Sam Jones happy to learn from Haskell

Sam Jones was just a schoolboy apprentice the last time James Haskell was playing in a Wasps shirt – now the England international returns to Adams Park to find the 20-year-old is a fully-fledged back-row rival.
The positives for Wasps were few and far between last season, but the emergence of Jones – along with Billy Vunipola and Joe Launchbury – in the back-row was certainly one of them.
Their development was aided by the retirements of flankers Joe Worsley and Dan Ward-Smith, but next season they will have to contend with the arrival of Haskell and former Springbok Ashley Johnson.
But rather than seeing Haskell as a threat, Jones is adamant the 43-cap England flanker can help take his own game to new heights.
“I’m really looking forward to working with James, he’s got a vast amount of experience at the highest level,” he said.
“I don’t feel my place is in danger, as I said I’m happy anywhere in the back row, and we have a lot of talent in that department now, but James will be great to learn from.
“I was still at school when he was at Wasps previously so I didn’t get the chance to work with him.
“He’s been around the world, and the bits he’s picked up from different styles of play is something I’m sure will benefit us.
“It feels like a clean slate this year and first up is to show the new coaches what we can do. The second half of last season I nailed down a regular place in the back row, but we’ve had some strong players coming in so I’m under no illusions it will be tough to own that shirt again.”
It is not just in the back row that Wasps have strengthened with Wales fly-half Stephen Jones, England second row Tom Palmer and Italian centre Andrea Masi among a host of quality recruits.
Jones admits there’s a far different feel around their Ealing training ground compared to last year and, with their ownership all but secure, is relishing the season ahead.
There’s still plenty of debate over what constitutes Jones’ best position with his propensity to win turnovers leading some to see him as an openside, while his ball-carrying ability means he is often employed at the base of the scrum.
But wherever he find himself, Jones says his main priority lies in staying fit for an entire season, after an injury-hit 2011-12 campaign, rather than in what shirt he is wearing.
“I tend to enjoy it more at No.8, the game is more about carrying, but I also enjoy the nitty gritty of No.7 as well,” he said. “I’ll play where I’m put at the end of the day.
“I just hope I have an injury-free start. Last season I missed most of the first half of it through injury but managed to make that breakthrough down to injuries to other key players.
“It’s the way it goes. I’d like to think I did okay, I felt in good form personally towards the end of the season.”
JAMIE HOLT