WASPS flanker Joe Worsley produced a Herculean performance in his side's Grand Final triumph against Leicester and then admitted he wanted to make a point to the British Lions selectors.

The England star was omitted from the tour to New Zealand but got one over on Leicester flankers Lewis Moody and Neil Back, who were both named in the Test party.

He said: "I think I have played well all season apart from Ireland in the Six Nations where I think the team struggled. Apart from that, the season has gone really really well.

"It is frustrating. Obviously the Lions selection was based primarily on the Six Nations. Before that, things had gone quite well.

"Autumn went well international-wise and top-level performances have been pretty consistently good all year.

Worsley, who will be sunning himself on a beach in Thailand when the Lions tour kicks off, wanted to send a message to Sir Clive Woodward with his performance in the domestic showpiece.

He said: "It's in the back of your mind. But above all else the guys that are leaving want to finish on a high."

"It's a little bit of a consolation but when I see them on TV it will still burn."

Worsley was deployed as an openside flanker at Twickenham and constantly thwarted the Tigers before they could shift the ball wide into dangerous positions.

He was also on the receiving end of a smack in the mouth from Back, which saw the Leicester man cited by the RFU and left Worsley needing 13 stitches.

Outgoing Wasps coach Warren Gatland believes Worsley would have been worth a punt for the series against the All Blacks.

He said: "I feel very sorry for Joe because he doesn't put in his best performances for England, though he had some top-drawer performances last year.

"Joe has been used on the blindside and that's frustrating. His defence in the first 20 to 30 minutes was just world class.

"There's one or two missing on the tour that New Zealand will be happy about."

Worsley agrees with Gatland's assessment that playing regularly at number six has not helped his cause.

He said: "At six, I haven't shown what I can do. You've got to think in advance and you've got to know the team pattern. If you read it wrong or the team does something wrong you never get the ball and you are basically anonymous.

"Playing seven you just chase after the ball. It's relatively brainless."

Worsley's back row colleague John Hart said: "Every time it's a big game he puts in a huge performance and he's very unlucky to miss out.

"But he'll bounce back and I'm sure it will make him a better player."