Tank helps to tame the Tigers

By Mark Stevens
24/12/16

Thomas Waldrom insists Exeter Chiefs must continue to look forward after they leapfrogged Leicester Tigers to move back into the top four of the Aviva Premiership with a 33-10 win at Sandy Park.

The free-scoring No.8 took his seasonal tally to eight tries - 44 in 68 appearances overall for the Devon club - as he claimed one of Exeter’s four on the day against his former club.

Hooker Jack Yeandle was first over the line for Rob Baxter’s side, before Waldrom got in on the act himself shortly after, burrowing his way over from close range by the Leicester posts.

Exeter’s forward dominance continued as the half drew towards a close, they claimed a penalty try to make it 21-0 at the turn, and they wrapped up the points in this Christmas Eve fixture with a fourth try from centre Ollie Devoto midway through the second half.

For Waldrom, the win not only ensured the Chiefs made it four wins on the trot in the top flight, but it also meant the 33-year-old could tuck into his festive feast knowing that he had helped to undo his former employers.

“To get the five points and put in a performance like that, it means we can go away, enjoy a few days off with the family, then come in on Tuesday and really focus on the New Year,” said the England international after the game.

“Obviously we’re pleased to be back in the top four and like Rob said, we’ve got things back in our own hands, which is what you want. You don’t want to be relying on others. For us it’s nice to see the hard work we’re doing in training is paying off and that results are improving all the time.

“Earlier in the season we had a few harsh words between ourselves, so it’s nice to come through all of that and put together a string of results we know we are capable of. Although we were disappointed with certain results and the way things went in some of those earlier games, we knew we weren’t a million million miles away and things are now starting to click, which is nice.”

Not only have Exeter shown a marked improvement in their attacking play in recent weeks, but defensively the fruits of their endeavour during the week are also paying off in terms of the scoreboard.

“You have to give a lot of credit to the coaches for what they are trying to implement here,” added Waldrom, who spent four years with the Tigers before moving to the Chiefs during the summer of 2014.  “At the same time, though, the boys have to buy into it as well - and that’s probably the biggest things.

“We know where we want to go and what we want to achieve, so we just have to take little steps if we want to achieve those things,”

Not that life will get any easier for the Chiefs, who over the next fortnight face testing away days at Bath on New Year’s Eve and then Saracens on January 7.

The challenges that lie in wait, however, are what Waldrom and his team-mates relish, adding: “They are going to be two tough games, we know that, but as players you want to be play in the big, sell-out games. I know we’ll prepare next week and look to keep moving forward.”