Dai Young Match Reaction - Post Bath

Following Wasps’ win at the Rec, in the second of the back-to-back European fixtures, Director of Rugby Dai Young was understandably delighted by his team’s composed performance and response to the previous week’s defeat, at the hands of the same opponents:

“We looked at ourselves this week.  Up until the 82nd minute last week, we’d won that game, but didn’t close it out. We didn’t think we played well last week, so we were very critical of ourselves and we were very honest with ourselves.  Although it was a game we could have won, we felt coming here we had to be better.  I thought we were far better today.
“It was a very good performance.  I think beating Bath at home as comfortably as we did in the end, is a big measure of how far this team can go.  However, we are still very much a work in progress as you can see, and we know that consistency is a big issue for us. 
“Today, I thought we controlled the pitch well. We didn’t make silly errors in our own half, which put us under a lot of pressure last week, and when we had opportunities to strike, I thought we did pretty well, so I was really pleased.  I thought our game management was far better this week.”
When asked about how far this side could go after beating Leinster and Bath away and Toulon at home, Young was typically measured in his response, stressing the squad will not be getting ahead of themselves.
“We know people outside the camp might sometimes get a little excited, but we also know that Exeter put forty points on us at home recently, so we know where we are.
“This team is certainly growing. Obviously winning becomes a habit and losing is something you have to learn from and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes again. 
“We’ve just got to enjoy today.  We haven’t come to Bath many times and left with a smile on our face. Bath are a very good team and we’ve come out on top today through a fantastic team effort, so we’re really pleased.”
Pressed about whether his English qualified players had enhanced their international chances in front of the watching Eddie Jones, Young replied.
“Yes absolutely, I think our English contingent have done themselves really proud.  Matt Mullan I thought was excellent in the scrum time playing against an international prop in David Wilson, so I thought he did himself a lot of good really.  Joe Launchbury was everywhere yet again, Nathan Hughes is not quite English yet but he’s not far off being there and was outstanding! James Haskell again had a really good game, Joe Simpson and Elliot Daly again played really well, the list goes on. There were also excellent performances from the likes of Jimmy Gopperth and George Smith, who I thought was excellent again as well. I’m not sure, but I think Smith might have a future in the game!’ he joked.
“But overall it was a real team effort as I said.  I thought we were really tight, really efficient in every area to an extent, and I’m really pleased.”