HARD work is paying off for Wasps according to the club’s director of rugby Dai Young after watching his side maintain their 100 per cent winning start to the new 2016/17 season.
Wasps moved three points clear at the top of the Aviva Premiership after recording a comfortable 47-18 win over old rivals Harlequins at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday.
The bonus point was secured after just 33 minutes thanks to tries from Ashley Johnson, Guy Thompson, Dan Robson and Elliot Daly although Harlequins were still very much in the match with the score at 26-18 by half-time.
But Young’s men eventually pulled clear with tries from Christian Wade, Kyle Eastmond and Josh Bassett wrapping up a fifth successive victory.
“It was a really good win and to put that many points past Quins is easier said than done,” said Young.
“The players are working hard for each other, there’s been lots of running off the ball to get in positions to take the link passes and finish it off.
“We’ve got the players that can beat people, we’ve got the players that can produce something when they have one-on-ones, but then it’s about the hard work to get on peoples’ shoulders.
“There was a period when it was an eight-point game and I feared if Quins scored it would go right to the wire, so it was really nice to have a bit of breathing space going into the last ten minutes.
“I always felt that we had another gear and that if we kept the ball for any period, we could score and I thought that was a real testament to our attacking ability.
“If you look at the players we’ve recruited, that’s the kind of rugby we want to play – We want to play 15-man rugby, high-tempo, multi-phase, taking people on with flare and get people on the edge of their seat. But most importantly, you’ve got to back it up with results as well.
“We’re nowhere near the finished article, but that’s the really pleasing thing – I really do think there’s a bit more still to come from this team.”
