WASPS have often saved their best performances for the best opponents.

Too often their level drops in relation to the team lining up against them, and matches that should be plain sailing turn into turgid arm wrestles in which Wasps struggle to break the shackles.

Dai Young feared a similar drop off against London Welsh on Sunday, the undisputed whipping boys of the Aviva Premiership this season.

He needn’t have worried.

Wasps scored their first try in the first minute, a second came with six minutes played and by the end they’d scooped up 11 scores in a record 71-7 drubbbing.

Young said: “I’m really pleased with the performance. I was really worried coming into this game because we haven’t really responded in the past to games that we’re expected to win, and we certainly haven’t played for 80 minutes in games when we’ve got our noses in front by two or three scores.

“But from the word go the attitude was excellent and we kept it going for 80 minutes as well. We played some great stuff.

“The quality within the squad is there to see. We’ve shown that on three or four occasions this season.

“But we had to prove to ourselves and others that we’ve got that killer instinct as well, that we’ve got that ruthlessness and can put teams to the sword when we get on top.

“We did that so I’m really pleased.”

Welsh hadn’t got within 20 points of an opponent in the Aviva Premiership all season and going through the motions would probably have been enough for Wasps.

But they were determined to prove they can the mindset right regardless of their opponents.

Young said: “We don’t prepare any different. That’s the message I try to get across to the players.

“It doesn’t matter who is sitting next door. Our preparation and mindset has to be the same whether we’re playing top of the league or bottom of the league.

“In the past we haven’t had that ability. But we’re starting to demonstrate that we can do that.

“I felt it was always going to click for them at some point and I was concerned it was going to be be this week.

“If we’d have come into with the wrong attitude and tried to play loose too quickly we’d have come unstuck.

“But the boys were determined to put an 80 minute performance in.”