London Wasps is a club with a huge amount of
history, over the years it has attracted some of the most talented rugby
players that this country has seen and in 2014 the talent within its ranks is
as strong as ever. At the helm of this great club is centre Chris Bell who was
given the captain’s armband at the beginning of the 2013/14 season after just
two years at the club. I think you'll all agreed that, that is some achievement and naturally I was keen to find
out more about the man who is now leading this historic club. We’ve seen in recent years quite a number of players who turned down the chance to captain their side in favour of ‘focusing on their own game’ however for Chris that was something that never came into his mind;
“It was quite an easy decision really, Dai called me and asked if I would do the job and naturally I accepted immediately. It really was quite a short conversation as it was something I’d always wanted to do... there wasn't anything to think about!”
Chris arrived at Wasps at the beginning of the 2011/12 season after 5 years at Sale Sharks and prior to that 2 years at Leeds and 3 at Harlequins, during his time at all of his previous clubs he had experienced ups and downs and these certainly set him in great stead for the task at Wasps;
“At Sale in particular I experienced the good, bad and the ugly, it was a bit of a rocky period and whilst I enjoyed my rugby and made some good friends it wasn’t the most successful time for the club. Certainly experiencing that taught me a lot and has made me the player that I am today”
Wasps themselves have experienced their own 'rollercoaster ride' as Chris described it since he joined; battling relegation in his first season was intense, last season was a little more comfortable and this one, well it is fair to say that it has been turbulent;
The characters within the Wasps’ squad are well known and some are quite headstrong, for want of a better word, so I was intrigued to understand just how Chris manages and leads such a mix of individuals;
“Everyone is different, you interact with each person differently, there are obviously some experienced players in the team that don’t need any help and for some of these guys it is actually a case of calming them down a bit and reigning them in!!! Whereas there are others may need more support and as captain that’s what I am there for and I hope that I do that job well.”
“We have a mantra here where everybody leads so that we all drive the club forward, it doesn’t just rest of my shoulders, everyone steps up and plays their part."
Chris is hugely passionate about his club, he leads by example and let's his rugby do the talking, speaking to him and seeing him play he reminds me a lot of another well know Premiership Captain, a Mr Chris Robshaw. You won't find either Chris screaming and shouting the house down but rest assured their clubs means everything to them. Chris’ passion for Wasps was clearly evident when asked him what it meant to him to play for and lead London Wasps;
“It is a huge honour to lead the squad. London Wasps as a rugby club is hundreds of years old and it will continue for another hundred years, if you are on the pitch at the weekend or at the training ground then you are just borrowing your shirt from the club and you’ve got to give your best in it. You want to be able to hang that shirt up after the game or training and know that you gave absolutely everything you could to do it justice.”
“They’re quite old values but they are vitally important to who we are and how we operate. I’m privileged to be given the role as Club Captain, I don’t take it for granted, it is something I really enjoy doing and will continue to do as long as I deserve to”
Wasps’ difficult past few weeks has meant that their road to a Top 6 finish is a challenging one, naturally Chris and his team are ‘taking each game as it comes’ starting with Saracens this weekend. Mark McCall’s men are in imperious form and I was keen to understand where Wasps are going to target them;
“I can’t give you our game plan, you might tell them!!!! In all seriousness, we’ve picked a few areas to look at, Saracens are a very efficient and strong team but you always try to find a little chink in their armour. Obviously there are a few things that we need to sharpen up on our own performance too as well.”
Wasps task is a tough one, they are fully aware that they haven’t put themselves in the best position to press forwards however that could all change with a big result against the league leaders this weekend.
Chris may have only been at Wasps for a relatively short time compared to some of the other Aviva Premiership Club Captains however that fact is immaterial. As I mentioned earlier Chris’ professionalism and leadership is up there with the best of them, he leads by example on and off the field and London Wasps are certainly are in very safe hands whilst he is at the helm.
