British & Irish Lion Lawrence Dallaglio knows he is facing a waiting game ahead of England’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against Wales next Saturday, but the Wasps captain declared: "I still believe I have a lot to offer."
Dallaglio warmed up for a possible England recall by finishing on the losing side as Wasps suffered a 28-16 Guinness Premiership defeat against Bath at the Recreation Ground.
He started the game at blindside flanker instead of his usual number eight position but could make little impact as Bath powered to victory though tries from prop Duncan Bell, centre Eliota Fuimaono and fly-half Chris Malone.
Dallaglio switched to number eight before half-time after John Hart departed with a suspected dislocated shoulder and he must now await England boss Andy Robinson’s team selection on Tuesday before discovering whether he will re-enter the Test match arena almost 17 months after retiring from international rugby.
"I will have to play a bit better than I did today if I get picked," said Dallaglio. "We will have to wait and see.
"There are lots of people who think it is a wonderful idea to make comeback, and there are lots of people who feel it is not right.
"I think rugby is about playing at the highest level, and I still believe I have a lot to offer. I don’t know what selection is going to be next weekend.
"I believe I know what it is like to play in the rarefied atmosphere of Test rugby and, obviously, every player needs to go up two or three levels from their normal club matches."
The one shining light for Wasps, and potentially England, was the form of centre Stuart Abbott, who proved comfortably his team’s biggest attacking threat.
"Stuart is a good player," said Wasps and Lions coach Ian McGeechan.
"He is back in the England mix, and he is an option for them."
