Cipriani signed a new one-year deal last season following the departure of team-mates Riki Flutey, James Haskell and Tom Palmer to the riches available in France's top league. With Wasps having failed to qualify for the Heineken Cup, their focus will be squarely on league success under new director of rugby Tony Hanks.

"We will challenge for the title this year," Cipriani told The Mirror. "I strongly believe we will be at the top of the league come the end of the season. When we get into the top four then anything can happen in the play-offs. I have stayed here for a reason - to win trophies.

"What you win in the game is what makes you feel fulfilled when you hang up your boots. If you can see a lot of medals and trophies in front of you it shows you have had a successful playing career. That was embedded in me when I was a 15-year-old just arriving at Wasps. It's so important to me.

"I've had a few texts from the South of France saying the place is pretty nice. Jonny Wilkinson has started well down there and seems to be enjoyng it. And I hope he is a big success with Toulon. But I have no regrets about signing another year at Wasps."

"What we've got to take into consideration is that we have a lot of people away for long periods," he told BBC Sport. "We've got to learn from Ryan having the added pressure of two jobs last year and maybe he could do it again.

"But we don't really want to put that burden on him so we've got a decision to make and we'll make it for next week."

"I think the new system will be great because it will rule out the meaningless rubbers towards the end of the season," O'Connell told The Western Mail. "You could be eighth or ninth in the league, with five or six games to go, and every side knows they have a shot of making the play-offs and the top four. It means you know you have two big games in May to play for."

"I didn't sign with the coach that is there at the moment. I signed with Phil Davies," Thomas told Wales on Sunday. "It was a little bit sad, but rugby is a short career sometimes. A lot of the players who left had done a lot for the club over the years, but last season it wasn't a happy camp. The quality and the attitude of the coaches is much better at Leeds."