Full steam ahead for Thomas 'The Tank'

By Mark Stevens
22/12/16

Thomas ‘The Tank’ Waldrom insists it’s ‘full steam ahead’ for him and his Exeter Chiefs team-mates as they gear up for a testing next block of fixtures in the Aviva Premiership.

With former club Leicester Tigers providing the initial challenge at Sandy Park on Saturday afternoon (3pm), the free-scoring No.8 and the Chiefs will then ready themselves for next weekend’s trip to Bath, before a further away-day at reigning champions Saracens marks the opening game of an action-packed New Year.

To all extent and purpose, it’s a pivotal period of the season for last season’s beaten finalists, but speak to Waldrom and his focus is set on one thing – and one thing only – making sure the Chiefs deliver on time in their festive encounter against the Tigers.

“It’s definitely one of the games I look for at the start of the season – and because it’s my old team, it won’t take much to get up for it,” said the 33-year-old forward. “I’m looking forward to the game, I’ll be playing against a few old mates and people I know well, but it’s also a big, big fixture in terms of the league.

“I think whenever you come up against your old side you want to give a good account of yourself and perform as best you can.

“Personally, I owe a lot to Leicester for what I achieved there. It’s a club that will always have a piece of my heart, just because of what I did there, what we achieved and the friends I made along the way. That said, that chapter in my career is now closed and I’m loving the new one I’m writing here at Exeter.”

Signed by Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter during the summer of 2014, not even Waldrom could quite have envisaged just how well things would have gone for him since arriving in Devon.

A total of 43 tries in 67 first team appearances is a strike-rate few within the game will ever match, but it’s not just Waldrom’s scoring ability that has made him such a key cog in the Chiefs machine. His all-round understanding of the game, combined with his skill-set and ever-durable on-field engine, have made him a virtual ever present since his arrival from Welford Road.

“Initially I didn’t know how things would go,” explained Waldrom. “I knew I was joining a club with plenty of ambition, good players and who were looking to rise within the game, but it wasn’t until I got here that I saw all that is being created here.

“If I’m honest it’s hard to explain what makes this club what it is, it’s certainly unique, and it has its own quirky style. The environment, though, is a very good one and it helps to make the team. When you come in you have to embrace it, enjoy it, and add your bit as best you can.

“You can’t afford to sit back and just watch what happens, you have to put your own stamp on things, which I think I’ve done, and you have to give as good as you get in terms of banter.”

Now into his third season with the Chiefs, Waldrom acknowledges the strides the club have made, even in his short stint at Sandy Park, and believes the foundations are being put in place for a successful future ahead.

In recent times the seeds of growth have been clear for all to see, but the England international says with success comes a much greater expectation from the watching masses.

“Each year we have stepped up,” he said. “No longer can we go into games seen as the underdogs. Teams now know all about us and they’ll prepare to come after you every week. When I was with the Tigers it was like that every week and it’s probably still the same now.

“Whenever you’re winning and you become champions of whatever competition, everybody comes after you, so you need to have everything in place to cope with that. We’re getting that here at Exeter and we’re learning to deal more with the expectation levels. Compared to my first year down here, now we’re not afraid to talk about our goals and the standards we want to set ourselves. We just want to achieve!”

After a somewhat shaky start to the current Premiership campaign, Baxter’s side have rediscovered their mojo in recent weeks, winning their past three league fixtures to move to within sight of the division’s top four.

Victory this weekend would lift the Chiefs up into the top four and in a prime position to challenge for their spot in the end of season play-offs over the second half of the season.

“Our form has definitely picked up over the last two months or so,” said Waldrom. “I think there was a period where we sat down as a group, re-evaluated a few things and just asked questions of ourselves.

“We knew things weren’t going quite to plan, but we weren’t a million miles away either. We were losing games by the odd score, but at the same time we were still picking up bonus points. I think in the last two months we’ve addressed a few of the issues and with that the results have started to come back.

“The three wins in the Premiership, plus last weekend’s win over in Bordeaux – where we didn’t play all that great, but still won the game – has given us real confidence to really attack this next block and see where we can go.”

And for Waldrom next stop on his seasonal line will be an early Christmas present of victory against his former employers, followed by a festive feast with all the trimmings.