RUGBY UNION - Hislop "delighted" with Wasps start - The Coventry Observer

RUGBY UNION - Hislop "delighted" with Wasps start

Coventry Editorial 22nd Oct, 2021   0

ROBIN Hislop is “delighted” with the start he has made to his Wasps career ahead of a trip to former club Saracens in the Gallagher Premiership on Sunday.

 

The loosehead prop played the full 80 minutes in Wasps titanic 27-23 defeat to Exeter Chiefs last weekend and has featured in all of their league matches this season.

 




Hislop captained Doncaster Knights last season having previously turned out for Rotherham Titans where he played under current Wasps head coach Lee Blackett.

 


And the 29-year-old admitted he jumped at the chance to work with Blackett again and has enjoyed his time at the club since arriving at the start of the campaign.

 

Hislop said: “Last week was massively enjoyable, it might sound a bit strange, we were really up against it and we dug in for each other – it was just massively disappointing to only come away with a losing bonus point.

 

“It’s gone really well, I’m delighted with the amount of game time I’ve had, I’m thoroughly enjoying playing, long may it continue.

 

“I worked with Lee at Rotherham and that was probably the most I’ve enjoyed my rugby.

 

“Lee was first to put something on the table and it made sense to take that [offer].”

 

Hislop spent a brief spell with Saracens at the end of the 2019/20 season and feels the move earned him the recognition he deserved – having proved himself to be one of the Championship’s finest talents.

 

He said: “It was amazing, I was twiddling my thumbs a bit like the rest of the country and the opportunity came up to go down there for eight weeks – I absolutely loved it.

 

“Going to Saracens – I did learn things and I did improve – but I don’t feel like I was any different to the player I was in the Championship with Doncaster.

 

“The frustrating thing for me was that I was doing that week in week out for Doncaster and maybe wasn’t getting the recognition.

 

“When you play a couple of games for Saracens and do the exact same job you get loads of recognition – I found that a little bit frustrating.”

 

His displays saw him earn his first call-up to the Scotland squad in June earlier this year only for the Summer internationals to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

He said: “It was a bit of shock to get the call-up, I was immensely proud of it, I had only been a dad for a few weeks – it was chaos.

 

“I massively enjoyed it and it was just gutting the way it ended – you put all that effort into training and you just want to play – to not get that opportunity was frustrating for everyone.

 

“Growing up it’s everyone’s dream to play for their country – there’s some quality looseheads at the moment – I’ve just got to keep knocking at the door and hopefully I’ll get a shot.

 

Wasps take on Saracens on Sunday, October 24 with kick-off at 3pm at the StoneX Stadium.

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