Elliot Daly 'happy to play wherever' for club and country
Elliot Daly could start at full-back against Worcester this weekend
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Elliot Daly has revealed he does not mind where he operates this season for Wasps or England as long as it benefits the team.
The 25-year-old, who is naturally a centre, played at full-back for England during their Test series against South Africa earlier this summer.
Daly may well be pulling on the 15 jersey once again, but this time for Wasps as they take on Worcester Warriors this Saturday in their Gallagher Premiership opener.
With Willie le Roux currently away on South Africa duty, Daly is one of the full-back options available to Dai Young ahead of this weekend.
“I don’t really mind where I play because it is about what is best for the team going forward,” Daly told TRU.
“I hadn’t played full-back for a while and Eddie [Jones] gave me a good chance out there to play three Tests, but I enjoyed it.
“From an England point of view, we had parts of the tour where we played really well and probably didn’t put that 80-minute performance in, but for me, it is all about playing well for Wasps and seeing where you can get to really.
“In my mind, I think I am a centre and I do want to play there, but I will play wherever for the team really. I just want to be clear about my role and do well when I am asked to play in whatever position.”
Daly returned to Wasps at the beginning of August, but he was immediately involved with England as Eddie Jones selected him for his pre-season training camp.
However, Daly’s attention is now on Wasps and his club side have recruited heavily during the off-season.
The likes of Kieran Brookes and Lima Sopoaga are two of the standout names to arrive at the Ricoh, but Wasps have also brought in a wealth of talent from the Championship including Michael Le Bourgeois, Ross Neal and Billy Searle.
“The new lads have settled in really well,” added Daly. “They have come in and everyone has been so welcome and I think everyone at the club, especially the boys who were here last year, have really tried to make the new players feel at home.
“Training has been really good with them in it and everyone is pushing each other at the moment.”
Strength in depth could well be key for Wasps this season as they aim for silverware on both the domestic and European front. In terms of the Premiership, Wasps were beaten by eventual champions Saracens in the 2018 semi-finals after reaching the final the previous year.
The Midlands club have not lifted a trophy since 2008 on the XV-a-side stage and Daly believes a good start to the new season is crucial if they are to be challenging for honours come the end of year.
He added: “We have shown over the last couple of years that we have been in that top four and we have been pushing the big teams.
“This season, we want to try and do that again and go one further than last season because when you get to that final, anything can happen.
“You have you to start well in this league otherwise you are catching everybody up. I think last season, I don’t think we got it quite right at the start.
“We lost a few too many games at that probably cost us at the end of the season so we are looking for a big start. There are no easy games in the Premiership at the moment so you have to be ready for whatever comes your way.”
Wasps kick off their new campaign at Worcester and despite the hosts finishing 11th last term, Daly is wary of the threat which the Warriors will pose this Saturday.
He said: “They are a quality side. We always have good games against them. We are quite similar teams.
“We like to throw the ball around and we both have quite exciting back lines. It is always going to be a tough game especially away from home on the first game of the season so it is one we are looking forward to.”
