CHRISTIAN WADE can’t work out why he hasn’t been picked for England as he heads to Twickenham with record-breaking Wasps.
And fans of the Premiership table-toppers are just as puzzled as to why their try-scoring machine has just ONE cap – won way back in 2013.
Wade, 26, can become the league’s most lethal finisher ever with one more try against Exeter Chiefs after drawing level with Dominic Chapman’s 17-in-a-season tally.
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But still that is not enough to get him in Eddie Jones’ squad for next month’s Red Rose tour of Argentina.
Wade said: “I haven’t been picked for a while – so I wasn’t counting on it, regardless of performances. I’m sure there will be others boys disappointed too.
‘I’m quite confused, I don’t really get clear explanations. I got a phone call the day before the last squad and Eddie Jones said keep playing well, try and come off my wing more and that was it really.
“He said he has what he needs and wanted to try something new and some of the younger guys. It is frustrating, but when it happens year on year it becomes the norm.
“So for me, my whole outlook on rugby is the same as it always has been – to improve as an athlete and improve every training session and every year.
“We have done well at Wasps and I have done well, so I am happy with that.
If anything else comes then great. But I don’t expect anything. It’s the coaches decision and I won’t be liked by everyone – so I don’t worry about it.” The pocket-rocket and Wasps stalwart stepped up to the senior ranks just after their last Premiership win nine years ago in 2008.
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Although James Haskell, Danny Cipriani and Joe Simpson were part of that title-winning squad Wade is ready to create a new dawn with his teammates.
And he fired a warning to free-scoring Exeter who dumped Saracens out of the play-offs to reach HQ by saying: “We’ve still got a few more levels to go.
"Our defence hasn’t been the best all year, as you can see from the points we’ve conceded. Everyone knows that we can score from all over the park, but when teams have stopped us from playing, those games have been very hard to win.
"But we’re a talented side, and we have a lot of heart as well which counts for a lot. We’ve been growing year-on-year, and if we can go all the way it will be massive for the club. I joined the year after we last won the Premiership and we’ve not done it since.
“Danny Cipriani was very young, but in the first team then and remembers those days – I don’t have those memories, but we just want to create our own legacy here.
“So far we’ve done that and we think this year could be another step towards that as well.”
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