Smith excited by Toulon challenge

George Smith says he is excited by the challenge of travelling to Toulon this weekend, where he expects Wasps to find a different beast to the one they faced at the Ricoh Arena.

Wasps will travel to the South of France this weekend with the aim of retaining their place at the top of Pool 5, with the experience of last season’s Quarter Final at the Stade Felix Mayol fresh in their minds. One player who will have even more to draw on is George Smith who, having made 30 appearances for the French giants in 2010/11, will know all too well what to expect against Toulon on home turf.

This season is Smith’s first foray in the premiere European competition since his time with Toulon and the importance of this game in terms of Wasps’ Champions Cup campaign will make for a memorable occasion.

“To be part of the Champions Cup was definitely a pull factor in signing with Wasps. I haven’t been in this European competition for a number of years and the last time was when I was with Toulon in 2011. So it is an exciting time and I am really looking forward to this match, because it is an important game for us, so hopefully we can have a good showing on the weekend.

Ahead of the game, Smith made it clear that the 32-6 victory over Toulon at the Ricoh Arena in November would have very little bearing on the match-up this time around.

“If you take into account the travelling they had to do for the last game, they flew into Birmingham from the South of France and then across to Coventry, so maybe mentally that had an effect. We played extremely well, we got across the advantage line, kick returns were good and attack was fantastic, so there were a lot of positives we took out of the game. Toulon weren’t at their best against us that game and we are expecting them to be very different come Sunday, because they are playing at home. So it will be an interesting contest.

“You can’t relax against a team like Toulon because they have a number of great individuals within their squad. It will be a different beast for us. They have some brilliant individual runners within their team, but that is not to take anything away from our team - we have some good game breakers within our squad. Defensively our systems are working really well, so we’re not daunted by taking on physically bigger players. I think we’ve shown in our games so far that we like to throw the ball around, we’ve had a number of good line breaks in the Premiership, so it is more about us finishing off our plays.

“I know a few guys over there, they have a number of Australian players in Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, James O’Connor, Quade Cooper, and the list goes on. I hold Juan Fernandez-Lobbe in high regard, he is a fantastic back rower. So I know a number of the players, but my commitment to what I need to be doing won’t change.”

Asked how important his big-game experience would be to the squad, and whether he gets more involved in team preparation going into a match like this, Smith was typically understated about his contribution.

“I guess my experience at international level or of finals may help with a big game like this. My involvement will mostly be on the pitch, I offer advice when people want it, but I don’t try to force information on others that isn’t needed. I think it is important to pick your moment when to talk.”

This week also saw the announcement of the 33-man England squad that will prepare for the RBS 6 Nations. Four Wasps players were selected in the group and Smith was asked about the inclusion of his back row partner James Haskell, who is now the second most experienced player in England’s squad.

“I’m extremely proud to see James Haskell named in the England squad again, I think he has worked extremely hard and is very deserving of being in that squad. He has developed his ability to jackal over the ball as well, so it is great to see him get his opportunity in England colours. I try not to have preconceptions of people before I meet them but obviously he is a well-known character within world rugby so you hear stories, but until you meet the guy you don’t really know. I’ve found him to be a really nice guy, a thoughtful guy. He is a character within the team but you need guys like that and he offers a good vibe in the group.”