'It would be amazing to work with him... if I don't get picked I don't get in a strop'

Former Wasps and England wing Christian Wade has given his take on working with Eddie Jones and the prospect of being coached by Stuart Lancaster again, eight years after he failed to make the cut for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Wade – who turned 31 over the summer – has returned after a four-year stint in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills as he looks to restart his rugby union career.

Wade is currently plying his trade with Racing 92 in the Top 14, having been recruited as a medical joker after the rugby league convert Regan Grace had a season ended season prior to arriving in Paris.

“I don’t really know Eddie Jones at all to be honest. I think he had me coming to a mini-camp one time for like a week,” Wade told Le French Rugby podcast.

“I can’t really remember it was such so long ago. He’s a bit of a different guy… he’s a different guy. A different dude.

“He’s obviously had some success with England so far. I don’t really watch England games and stuff like that. Last four years so I’ve been away. Prior to that my attention was more on other stuff.”

If he stays in Paris beyond the current season, Wade will be coached by Lancaster again, who is swapping Leinster and Dublin for Racing 92 and Paris next season.

“When I heard the news that he was coming, some guys were like, he won’t want to pick you. It is what it is. Ask any coach… if I don’t get picked I don’t get in a strop about it. I use it to get better. Obviously, I’m not good enough, that’s just kind of how I pushed it. I’m never ‘I’m not good, I’m not going to do this. I just go I’m going to work harder.

“It was rumoured before but now it’s confirmed [Lancaster taking over at Racing 92]. If I’m at Racing, I think it would be amazing to work with him again. I remember, I think it was his first year at Leinster and we went and played them in a semi-final and they beat us, but the way he had brought Leinster back to the top, because they weren’t doing as well before that.

“We used to beat them every year. We had some good contests but I feel like we beat them three out of the four times.

“That year we we went over there they were like a different team. You know he would have been a big reason for that as well. Even if you look at England when Stuart was involved, we were very low in the rankings and when he came we started to see some young players like myself come through.

“He basically birthed the England team that Ed Jones take on that long winning streak. Players like Maro, I remember being in the Saxons squad with him. That was all Stuart.

“It would be very exciting to work with him again. With sport you never know what’s going to happen so we’ll have to wait and see.”