New London Wasps prop Pat Barnard has warned England captain Phil Vickery he will not get his club spot back without a fight.

With Vickery away at the World Cup, Barnard is set to be handed the number three jersey for Wasps' Guinness Premiership opener against Saracens tomorrow.

And the summer signing from Northampton has told Vickery he wants it for keeps.

``First and foremost, I want to make the number three jersey my own this season,'' he told PA Sport.

``There's plenty of competition but I came here to play and that's the most important thing for me.

``Vicks is a great player, he's had a great career and he's just a great tighthead overall.

``It'll be good, tough competition, but that's what sport's about, competing. I'll just take it a week at a time and see what happens.

``It'll be fun when he's back. If you've got to compete against somebody that good for your position, it keeps you sharp.''

Wasps have been hit harder than most by the World Cup, with nine players handed call-ups, but Barnard sees it as a good opportunity for their squad players to stake a claim for regular selection.

``There's a lot of young guys that want to show their mettle,'' he said. ``It's not often that you're in a position where all those guys are away at a World Cup and you can give some of the youngsters a go.

``The guys are really excited about having a chance and they look good. It's the first game of the season so there's a lot of enthusiasm there.

``They just want to get going and show what they can do.''

Barnard will be playing his first competitive game since February 17, when the South African-born forward sustained a calf injury which ruled him out of Northampton's unsuccessful fight against relegation.

Now he is hoping to help Wasps improve on last season's fifth-placed finish and is relishing the prospect of facing Saracens on his debut.

``Saracens have always been a good team,'' he said. ``It's going to be an up-front battle.

``We know they play a good, physical style of rugby, so I think it's got the makings for a really good game.

``It's been a long time for me,'' he added. ``I can't wait to play a bit of rugger, I must admit.

``I was still struggling back from the injury at the start of pre-season so I had to do a lot of rehab and the Wasps medical boys have been really good.

``It's going to be great fun just to be out there and be part of a team again.''