Tap and Go returns for the start of another season with Harlequins’ wing Dave Strettle coming under the microscope to kick things off

How you doing Dave?
I’m very well thanks mate how are you?

Fair to middling thanks. Looking forward to the season?
Absolutely. It’s been a tough pre-season; we’ve had a lot of fitness testing and stuff like that at Quins and with England when we met up a couple of weeks ago. It’s going to be good to get back into the mix of playing every weekend.

What’s the toughest aspect of pre-season for you?
Because I’m more scientifically ‘fast-twitch’ I’m not the best with regards to endurance, so I’ve not got the engine like your back row forwards so that’s the hardest thing - the repeat sprints and stuff. Will skinner and Chris Robshaw (right) are pretty phenomenal athletes in that respect and it’s always hard to keep up with them.

Top four for Quins this year?
Definitely. We’re always trying to improve each season and for us this year that means top four. A few people think we should have finished fourth last year ’til Leicester pipped us in the last few minutes of the final day game. Having said that you can only really call things once the season’s well under way. There are no weak teams in the Premiership but there are always surprise teams and teams struggling you never thought would. Once we’ve got a few games under our belts we’ll see where we stand.

What’s your favourite ground to play at?
I’d have to say the Stoop. I know it’s my home ground but it’s a nice little pitch and good atmosphere there, but Northampton is always good as well. In terms of places where the fans are always trying to intimidate you the Leicesters and Gloucesters are always good.
The more people that come to watch the more you get up for a game. It’s not hard to get up for a game against Leicester or Gloucester when you’ve got all their fans screaming at you. One of the benefits of playing this level is the number of people that come to watch so you get a great atmosphere wherever you play.

Tell us about the Land Rover Premiership Cup I remember meeting my hero Martin Offiah when I was younger and I got such a buzz and it really inspired me to play more. The Land Rover Premiership Cup will not only get more youngsters playing rugby but will enable them the chance to meet players from their favourite club. To see the smiles on kids faces when they meet the players is so satisfying.

It’s been well reported in the past that you were at Man City as a school kid. Wouldn’t mind being there now they’ve ht the jackpot?
I’m actually a Man United fan but I’ve got a lot of friends who are Man City fans -being from Warrington - and they’re over the moon. It’s good for the sport if someone comes in and has a long term passion for the club but I do sometimes wonder about football though, if they pulled the plug what would happen? Remember what happened at Leeds?

Indeed. Back to Quins, who’s got the worst dress sense at the club?
Our prop Mike Ross. I think he gets dressed in the dark in the morning; it’s quite atrocious what he comes out in sometimes.

Flashest car in the Quins car park?
It will be me soon when I get my Range Rover Sport.

Who’s the biggest wind up merchant?
Nick Easter (right) likes to be centre of attention so he takes it on himself to be the alpha male around the club and wind up some people. There are a few boys who are good. Ugo Monye is a funny lad, Will Skinner’s another one.

What does Easter get up to?
He’s got a habit whenever we have a meeting of writing people’s names on the back of the chairs and he likes to think up nicknames for everyone. At the end of season he’s also the judge in the kangaroo court at our end-of-year social, so he stores information on you throughout the year – things you’ve done wrong or occasions you’ve made a fool of yourself and then brings it all up.

Who would be your ideal three dinner guests?
Number one: Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s a bit of a legend - anything he’s turned his hand to he’s done brilliant at. He did bodybuilding then went off and became a movie star and became an A-lister, then thought he’d get into politics and he’s governor of California, so he’s not doing too bad!
The second one? For sheer eye candy, Jessica Alba. I wouldn’t invite her husband so I might try and wangle my way in there
The third person would have to be Gordon Ramsay, but I’d just stick him in the kitchen and let him cook.

What other sports do you follow?
I do like my motorbikes. My dad built them as a hobby and I’ve always been keen on them. I like the Moto GPs and World Superbikes. I sold my bike when I came down to Quins but I am very tempted to get myself another one.
I play a lot of golf as well. I’ve only just started but me and Danny Care (right) like going and shooting nine holes, simply because if we get to 18 our heads go and our scores drop dramatically. I do like a good nine holes, it gets you out in the fresh air a bit and there’s no pressure. We do play in a pressure cooker environment with the rugby so it’s nice to get out on the course and if you mess up you can just deal with it yourself.

If you weren’t a rugby player what would you be doing?
I always fancied being a marine biologist when I was at school, living off a boat on a coral reef somewhere. It seemed like a pretty easy way of living.

Certainly does, good luck on Saturday Dave
Cheers mate.

David Strettle was speaking at the launch of the new Land Rover Premiership Cup in Thames Ditton, a new tournament aimed at under 12s and under 11s which will be run across the country in conjunction with the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs. Kicking off this autumn, the initiative aims to excite more youngsters about rugby and get them playing the sport. You can win a training session with David’s England team mates James Haskell and Josh Lewsey at www.landrover.co.uk/trainingday