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Frustrated Leicester Tigers No.8 Thomas Waldrom eager to get back on right track

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Thomas Waldrom admits he has endured a "tough few weeks" after suffering defeats for club and country.

The 29-year-old was in the Leicester Tigers team beaten by Wasps on Sunday, and that followed on from the surprising defeat he suffered while playing for England against Australia the previous week.

Throw into the mix being dropped from Stuart Lancaster's squad ahead of last Saturday's game with South Africa, and it was easy to understand Waldrom's frustration.

"It has been a tough few weeks, but that is the way that rugby is sometimes," said a downcast Waldrom.

"Things have not gone as well as I would have liked over the past three weeks.

"Rugby is a game of inches and gaining momentum, and I feel like I have been on the back of that for the last few weeks, which has been frustrating."

Waldrom was dropped from Lancaster's match-day 23 after the loss to Australia and replaced by Gloucester's Ben Morgan for the defeat by South Africa.

Waldrom rejoined the England squad on Sunday night in preparation for the visit of world champions New Zealand on Saturday.

"Some of those things are out of my control," said Waldrom. "They (England) decide what they want to do.

"All I can do is to come back and play well for Tigers if they decide not to pick me.

"I just have to train as hard as possible and see what happens.

"I would not have played for England if it was not for Tigers.

"(Director of rugby) Richard Cockerill is always there to support me, but I also have to just crack on with my own job."

Waldrom gained little joy at Wasps as Tigers' pack, with 21-year-olds Fraser Balmain and Jonny Harris starting, struggled in slippery conditions.

"It was tough but we still had chances to win it," said Waldrom.

"There were some young fellas in the front row and they did a good job.

"Richard Cockerill has faith in the young lads and the boys were right behind them. They did really well in a big game.

"I thought everyone stood up and worked hard, but it wasn't good enough. We need to look at ourselves and find out where we went wrong.

"We knew, going into the game, that our set-piece was not going to be as good as it has been for us in the past. That was frustrating as we struggled to get a foothold in the game."

Tigers got one over on their nearest and dearest rivals, Northampton Saints, at under-18 level in the warm-up to the new Academies League season.

Tigers scored four tries at Oval Park in a 24-11 win.

Saints struck first, claiming two penalties and then a try to earn an 11-0 lead before Tigers got on the board.

No.8 Ed Milne grabbed the first home try and wing Henry Purdy soon added a second.

The conversion from Olly Bryant gave Tigers the lead for the first time at 12-11 approaching half-time.

Replacement forward Charlie Beckett and wing Rhys Williams scored during the second half to complete the triumph, with Bryant adding a second conversion to stretch the lead to 13 points.

Frustrated Leicester Tigers No.8 Thomas Waldrom eager to get back on right track


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