Thomas Waldrom: Former England International previews the All Blacks v England clash at Twickenham

Tomorrow's mouthwatering England-All Blacks test at Twickenham could decide the visitors' Grand Slam hopes. 

After two decisive victories over Ireland and Scotland, the All Blacks are facing England at their home ground.  

Former England international Thomas Waldrom told Piney the All Blacks have been trying to do a lot, but it hasn’t been coming off as much. 

He says this test is going to be a key one for the team to see what they’re trying to do and whether it will work.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks edb SO.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's the second last test of the year for the
All Blacks Tomorrow morning England at Twickenham. Ten past four
is kickoff time. We have a commentary for year on
News Talks edb SO. But you don't even have to
get out of bed. Just radio under the pillow, war
your device or whatever it is, just turning it into
zb or or Gold Sport or iHeartRadio. The last time
we played England was on the end of season two

(00:32):
last year. They're looking for the best opportunity for the
truck goal, George Ford, for the truck goal.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
For the truck do.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Look away.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
It is away.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
When my throller at Twickenham twenty four twenty two, I'd
almost erased that from my memory, actually the dramatic finish
to that game. But yet New Zealand getting up twenty
four to twenty two at Twickenham. England haven't beaten US
at twicken them since twenty twelve. Incidentally, they haven't beaten

(01:10):
US anywhere since twenty nineteen. It was the Rugby World
Cup semi final in Japan. That was the last time
England beat us Let's bring in former England Hurricanes and
Crusaders lose forward Thomas Wardrop Thomas. Before we look ahead
to this game tomorrow morning, what have you made of
the All Blacks in the last two weekends during their
wins over Ireland and then Scotland.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
Yeah, they're looking at them. Yeah, they're trying to do stuff,
but then it's sort of it's not coming off as much.
But yeah, I'm sort of on the fence at the moment.
So this Test match tomorrow I think it's going to
be a key one for them to see actually what
they're trying to do and if they can get a
win over England as well.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
As you say you can see what they're trying to do.
The cohesion I think has been the thing against Ireland.
It took until the last twenty minutes for them to
come together. Last week against Scotland, the yellow cards didn't help,
but there was a period after halftime where where they
just get the ball in Scotland came back into the game.
Do you feel as though this All Black side has
got a sixty seventy even eighteen minute performance in them.

Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah, I think they do. And also I think they
just need to the side of who the who's this
best fiftem as well and what they're trying to achieve
is I think there's a lot of top and Johno.
There's injuries and stuff like that, but I think he
sort of Hilly Parcter was there for a little bit,
he's out, but now he's back in and what was
the TZ I thought pad really well? Then he is
on the fence and Simon Parker's in and I think

(02:37):
as a player, I think just having these mixed messages
is probably not great, but yeah, we'll be understeing how
it goes in the end.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Another guy who's who's involved in the loose forwards and
he's actually had a decent run in the side in
recent times as Peterkey. He's been in the number eight jersey.
This will be his fourth Test in a row in
that in that jersey. You've said a bit of him
obviously for the Hurricanes as well. How have you evaluated
how Peter Likekey has been playing in the last little while.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
Oh no, Yeah, I think he's won really well. And
that's the thing. He's sort of this a tast a
bit of time, but I can see these building some
combinations and I think that loose wards, that's what it's about.
And I think it's probably a bit hard on him
with Parker probably coming in this week. I think wallas
Ardi and Peter Or I think worked really well the
last few weeks and I think they're building real nicely.

(03:24):
So now they've probably dynamics changed a little bit, but
I think generally, I think that's the thing. He's throwing
his body around it on the second half. I think
he some of the tackles he was making real physical
and standing up and this the things. He's still young
and he's still going to grow and mature into a
bloody good All Black, but he's Yeah, I think he's
going really well at the moment.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Just on the decision to bring Simon Parker into the side.
He didn't. He wasn't in the match day twenty three
last week, and presumably they were they were resting him
or saving him for this week. And as you say,
Wallace a Titi goes onto the bench, I guess the
All Blacks would say, Okay, well we need that big
body out there. We need a big Simon Parker against
guys like Sam Underhill and Ben Earl and Guy Pepper,

(04:05):
Who are England's lousies? Do you subscribe to that that
you need that big body out there?

Speaker 3 (04:11):
I think against England, I don't think you do, because
I think Ben Ill, I know Sam Under was very
very strong tackler and very physical and stuff like that.
I think sometimes speed ability, ball skills and everything, sometimes
you can get around in England guys. And that's what
That's what I was sort of hoping for, that they
could probably just stick with them and try the game plan.

(04:32):
If if they can go wide to wide or go
through the middle, we don't need these, yeah, I think, yeah,
so called big bodies. I know he's back in the
day we need Drome account Kino and like they were
the enforces and they bought that physicality. But I think
some of these guys are different these days. So I think, yeah,
it's just I don't know. Yeah, we'll find out this

(04:52):
tomorrow morning if it was a good call or not,
and if they could stand up against England.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
So what goes on to the bench. And there's been
a lot of talk in recent times about how important
the bench is, and in many ways, I think there's
been an hour tow of that. You know, those players
who where Jerseys sixteen to twenty three are just as
important as jersey's one to fifteen. But as a player, Thomas,
you know, take us inside the mindset there you always

(05:18):
want to start.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
For me, it was always starting, and I think it's
always sort of always been hard being behind Jerry Rodney
and Chris You sort of when you've got an opportunity,
you wanted to take it and like fall stride and
take off both hands. But I think sometimes I think
back in the day, I think when you were on
the bench, you potentially could only get ten, five fifteen minutes.
I know we get a little bit longer these days

(05:42):
because of the games changing and they might get twenty
five to thirty minutes, but sort of been whiles back
playing year, it was sort of reserved, was sort of
you might get ten minutes at the most. So yeah,
starting was always the goal to get there and try
to prove yourself. But yeah, I think I think front
roll is a little bit different, like with Twidy Williams

(06:03):
coming on and stuff like that. Those big bodies, they
they make a difference. But I think loose swards and
stuff like they're trying to get into a game is
pretty hard sometimes if you only get out limited amount
of minutes.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
England haven't beaten the All Blacks since twenty nineteen in
the Rugby World Cup semi final that year. They haven't
beaten the All Blacks at twicken Him since twenty twelve.
How desperate at England going to beat a chal cup
of victory?

Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah? I think they're well and that's the thing they've
and I think you're watching them and stuff like that,
and they all backs will be under pressure on their
line speed. England will come with massive line speed. They'll
get in their faces, they'll celebrate all these little knock
ons like Mariotoji and been Hill. It's from the Saracens,
things like that. Any sort of pressure you put on

(06:48):
and you make a mistake, they'll be in their faces
and trying to put pressure as much pressure on as possible.
So I think have to be wary of I think
England and I know the Four Test, but I think
this is the big one that they've been working towards.
I think Fezi was sort of a second string team
they've put out, but I think behind closed doors be
working real hard for this game. On Tomorrow morning, if the.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
All Blacks do win this, they're on track for a
Grand Slam and I'll likely beat Wales, so they'll probably
finish the year eleven wins, two losses. If they were
to lose this Test, it'll be three losses this year,
no Grand Slam. Does it almost feel as though I
don't know the entire year could be defined by this
one Test match.

Speaker 3 (07:29):
Well, I shouldn't be, but I think it's more of
the way that babies are playing and stuff like that
at the moment. I think that's the question of as
the World Cup around the corner, is the style baby's
are painters the world class and stuff like that than
what we're used to seeing with some of the players
on top of the on top of the game and
doing special things. I think that's for me been watching it,

(07:53):
that's what I'll be probably judging more the results come
and go and stuff. But I think it's the way
that they're playing and entertaining and stuff like that, which
is I think is a big key.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
What's twicking them like to play at It's amazing.

Speaker 3 (08:07):
It's one of the craziest feelings because you get on
a bus and you arrive and everyone's everyone's around the
ground because they've got the bars and everyone and the
hospitality starts early and you get off the bus. Especially
for England when I was on the home team, it
was awesome because yet everyone comes out and sees her
and yeah, yeah on the out on the gates and

(08:29):
there's probably about forty thousand people watching you, and then
sort of for the home game as well, you might
get a few good booze. But yeah, when you walk
through and the golden gate opens up and it's like
around about the bus goes down, it's yeah, it's pretty special.
It's unreal and amazingly part of it.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
And what's it like underneath like as you as you're
getting ready and then when you come out, like can
you feel the history of the place.

Speaker 3 (08:52):
Oh yeah, definitely, and that's the change rooms are massive
as well. They've got the old iron bars in there
as well. They use them every every now and then.
But I think it's just the the grand scale of
it all. It's just as next level and yeah, all
the history of all the players that play test matches
on the wall and all the member Vallier and stuff

(09:13):
all around us. Yeah, it's pretty special place to be
a part of. We love their.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
Rugby over here, Thomas as, you know, what are the
England rugby public like. I mean it's big football country, right,
they love their football. What are the England rugby public like?

Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, they're sort of the same as New gentlemen. They're
very passionate. They want you to always win, and but
there's a thing like all the to sell out eighty
eighty four thousand every week as crazy, so you know
there's people there that want to watch it and get
behind the team and stuff like that, so which was yeah,
but I think they're very much like New gentlemen. Are

(09:48):
very passionate and they want you to win, and they'll
be very critical at times as well, but that's just
part of part of because of the media side of
things as well, but that's just part of it.

Speaker 2 (09:58):
Got a prediction for us as always, got probably a draw.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
Well, I was in a draw.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
We're actually at Twickenham in ninety seven or twenty six,
all draw or something. I remember being in a drawn
Test match, so you reckon it'll be that tight. I
mean they're normally tired, aren't they. I saw a stat
that five of the last seven between these two have
been decided by three points or less, so tight game
in coming.

Speaker 3 (10:21):
Yeah, I think we're very tight and yeah, and a
goal kicking will come down and goal kicking and stuff
like it as well. But yeah, yeah, my Producdan is
gonna be very tight.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
Great to get your analysis, Thomas. Thanks for joining us
this afternoon. Finding text mate, No, thank you mate, that
is Thomas Waldrom, former England loose Ford also played a
lot for the Hurricanes and for the Crusaders Canterbury as well,
but a Hawks Bay too and I feel a good
analyst of the game, Thomas Waldrop.

Speaker 1 (10:46):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Faine, listen live
to News Talks b weekends from midday or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio