Director of rugby Tony Hanks is hoping history repeats itself as London Wasps chase Premiership (12/1 to win the Grand Final) and European Challenge Cup glory again.

The Wycombe-based outfit are through to the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup with a game to spare, after five straight Pool 4 wins, ahead of Thursday evening’s game against Racing Metro.

Wasps won the competition back in 2003 and went on to add the Guinness Premiership title to their trophy cabinet in the same season before lifting the Heineken Cup in 2004 and 2007 to further boost their roll call of honours last decade.

Hanks’ side, who travelled to France without England wing Paul Sackey because of his fractured cheekbone, have work to do in order to make the end-of-season play-offs domestically, but he is looking to use the Challenge Cup as a springboard again.

Hanks said: “It’s a competition we want to win and we hope it can be a platform for us.

“We are really pleased to have qualified from what proved to be a really tough group and to come out of it after five games was great.”

Wasps have named a strong side for tonight’s game, with Danny Cipriani, Tim Payne, Mark Van Gisbergen and captain Serge Betsen all starting in Paris.