By the time James Haskell made his full England debut in 2007 he had already experienced international rugby at Saxons, Sevens, Under-21, Under-19 and Under-18 levels. A muscular ball carrier, his aggression and determination saw him lauded as the natural successor to Lawrence Dallaglio in both the England and Wasps back-row.

His club debut for Wasps came when he was 18 and within two seasons he had signed a full-time contract and was subsequently a key member of the U-21 side that claimed a Six Nations Grand Slam.

By 2006-07 he was a regular in the Wasps side, citing his Man-of-the-Match performance against London Irish that season as a turning point in his career. He was a replacement in Wasps' Heineken Cup triumph later that year, and he also made his England Sevens and England Saxons debuts. In March he played his first game for England against Wales in Cardiff.

Included in England's preliminary World Cup squad in 2007, he missed the cut but was recalled for the Six Nations. An injury cut his tournament short and on return he again had to battle back into the side in time for defeats against South Africa and New Zealand, becoming one of four players sin-binned against the All Blacks.

In 2009 he surprised many by accepting a move to Stade Francais but his performances there continued to keep him in the England team and he impressed in some otherwise disappointing matches, including scoring a brace of tries against Wales in the opening game of the 2010 Six Nations.

He started every match of the championship-winning 2011 Six Nations and retained his place for his side's dismal Rugby World Cup that autumn. He was one of those in hot water following an off-the-field incident at the team's hotel in Dunedin.

By then he had left France - a move forced on him by Stade Francais' finances - and moved to New Zealand for a season in Super Rugby before returning to Wasps in 2012-13. His international experience also included a stint of club rugby in Japan.