London Wasps lock Joe Launchbury is going to use the pain of losing out on a Grand Slam at the end of the RBS 6 Nations to drive him and his club on to the end of the season.
Launchbury was in the England side that fell at the final hurdle in Cardiff, losing the title to defending champions Wales after their record 30-3 defeat at the Millennium Stadium, but still has plenty to look forward to before the end of the season.
Wasps will face reigning Heineken Cup champions Leinster in the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup on Friday, 5 April, and will be warming up for their European battle with a home game against Northampton Saints this weekend.
"It's nice to be back at Wasps because the RBS 6 Nations is a long tournament and it's mentally draining. I hugely enjoyed being part of the England set up and, in large parts of the tournament, we were able to show that we were thriving," said Launchbury
"We are bitterly disappointed with how it all ended up and we have to remember that pain and remember how it felt to watch Wales lift the Championship in front of us. We need to use it to get better.
"I'm raring to go again now and we have some big challenges ahead of us here at Wasps. It's a really exciting time and we're not shying away from it - we want to be in the knock out stages of major competitions and it is up to us to take these next few weeks by the throat and take what we can out of it."
