Second best just won't do after such a difficult year

This has felt like two completely different seasons with the World Cup period ending and then the Premiership section starting up which is exactly how our management team of Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards wanted us to view the campaign. After returning to England, having reached the final in Paris, the coaches just made it clear that had to be forgotten and that getting up the league ladder was now the priority.

By adopting that view it hasn't seemed like one long season although I am looking forward to a break once tomorrow's match at Twickenham is over. I have a few niggling injuries that need rest but I am not feeling as battered at this point of the year as I have in previous ones.

That means the attitude isn't "one more big game and a rest" because I feel good enough to carry on for a bit longer.

There was some guilt coming back into the squad after being at the World Cup. The guys we left behind had to deal with all of the Premiership matches against teams who did not have the same kind of disruption caused by international call-ups. We were near the bottom of the table in October and this has been a marvellous effort by the whole squad.

When the Six Nations was on the guys produced outstanding results and picked up key bonus points which meant that our end-of-season run of victories took us up to second place.

We have also dealt with some horrendous injuries losing Dave Walder, Phil Vickery, Tom Voyce and, of course, the terrible ankle injury suffered by Danny Cipriani. I had a similar injury in 1995 and have told Danny he will be back and able to achieve all of his goals.

Medical treatment has come on so much since I broke and dislocated my ankle. I was taken off the pitch on what looked like a World War Two stretcher and got dropped off it. My leg then got trapped in the ambulance door as they shut it and they hit a bollard on the way to the hospital!

Tomorrow's final marks the end of their Wasps careers for Lawrence Dallaglio and Fraser Waters, who have been so important in ensuring we have won so many trophies.

Fraser is the best centre I have ever played with while Lol deserves every plaudit he is getting.

Both will want to go out with big performances - like the rest of the Wasps squad.