England call up Thomas Waldrom as cover

[TRF_Cymro]

Leicester's Thomas Waldrom is to fly out to New Zealand as World Cup cover for England number eight Nick Easter.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/14970247.stm
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[gingergenius]

ffs why didn't Johnson get him involved during the warmups if he's in line for a last minute callup?

i'm sure in the unlikely event England do win the world cup everyone else will say we did it with a team of mercenaries...

 

[Teh Mite]

Hurrah!

I mean, erm, oh...

 

[j-dawg]

Can we have an 8 who isn't either A) Fat B)From New Zealand or C) Both

Maybe, I don't know...James Haskell?

 

[j'nuh]

Can we have an 8 who isn't either A) Fat B)From New Zealand or C) Both

Maybe, I don't know...James Haskell?

Well, if Easter is injured, Haskell will probably start at 8 for the rest of the tournament. So it'd be nice to have a back-up 8 in case Haskell gets injured or if our flankers are hopelessly out of form and we need Haskell to step in at 6/7. And I'm not sure what the alternative to Waldrom is?

 

[superhans121]

I know Waldrom is good but I would really rather not have him - he just isn't remotely English. At least Hape has lived here and qualified on residency grounds, not through his "Goodenough" grandmother.

Should be Luke Narraway

 

[rhifsaith]

how the heck has he qualified for England so soon then??

 

[Teh Mite]

how the heck has he qualified for England so soon then??

He conveniently found an English Grandmother as if by magic about 33 seconds after Stuart Barnes recommended him for the England team.

 

[superhans121]

He has an English Grandmother amusingly with the surname "Goodenough"

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Narraway is injured atm though,

I'd've had Carl Fearns to be honest, on fire for Bath atm, however Waldrom was involved with the England set up in the run up to the WC, so it's going to be between him/Worseley/Robshaw, and as this is cover for Easter it rules at Wurzel Gummage and Robshaw

 

[Peat]

ffs why didn't Johnson get him involved during the warmups if he's in line for a last minute callup?

i'm sure in the unlikely event England do win the world cup everyone else will say we did it with a team of mercenaries...

Spent most of the build-up period injured (that, and Johnson seems to be flip-flopping on whether Haskell can cover 8).

 

[cardassian]

ffs why didn't Johnson get him involved during the warmups if he's in line for a last minute callup?

i'm sure in the unlikely event England do win the world cup everyone else will say we did it with a team of mercenaries...

Seems to be the way of English sport at the moment
Seriously though is he going to replace Sheridan in the squad or are they still deciding on another prop to bring out?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Seems to be the way of English sport at the moment
Seriously though is he going to replace Sheridan in the squad or are they still deciding on another prop to bring out?

I don't think so:

Waldrom has been called up in case Easter's injury is bad, in which case he'll replace Easter
No replacement has been named for Sheridan (yet), but I read something earlier that said they have to say by the end of Monday (so already passed in NZ) who is his replacement - I'd be surprised if they took another prop, to be honest, as they already have 4, and that should see them through
My money's on Riki Flutey, though some places (Sky Sports) think it could be one of Chris Robshaw/Joe Worsely as backrow cover in case Moody implodes

 

[m0rris]

I'd've had Carl Fearns to be honest, on fire for Bath atm, however Waldrom was involved with the England set up in the run up to the WC, so it's going to be between him/Worseley/Robshaw, and as this is cover for Easter it rules at Wurzel Gummage and Robshaw

This be true... he's is playing very well for Bath and would be fully deserving of a call up. That said Id rather he wasn't called up until as we've got a rather importantly games avec Tigers and Glaws to win!

m0rris

 

[donmcdazzle]

Hape and Waldrom should be ahsamed of themselves. Tuilagi spent half his childhood there (even though this was done illegally) so I can understand him representing England, but those other two are blatantly not English. They've represented another country as adults (Hape in league, Waldrom in NZ Maori).. not wanting to incite another eligibility war but it continues to p*ss me of.

 

[markshaw]

Hape and Waldrom should be ahsamed of themselves. Tuilagi spent half his childhood there (even though this was done illegally) so I can understand him representing England, but those other two are blatantly not English. They've represented another country as adults (Hape in league, Waldrom in NZ Maori).. not wanting to incite another eligibility war but it continues to p*ss me of.

mate they need all the help they can get be gratefull they ditched us!

 

[superhans121]

Hape and Waldrom should be ahsamed of themselves. Tuilagi spent half his childhood there (even though this was done illegally) so I can understand him representing England, but those other two are blatantly not English. They've represented another country as adults (Hape in league, Waldrom in NZ Maori).. not wanting to incite another eligibility war but it continues to p*ss me of.

Waldrom in NZ Maori........ errrrr you sure about that?

 

[Saintjay]

Yeah I thought that when Johnson ditched the all blacks u21 squad and lifted the world cup in 2003 for us.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

It's weird, I dont remember him ever playing for the Maori...and no profiles I have found on line say he did...but there is a pic of him playing in a Maori jersey



I am surprised that didn't count as representing your country.

 

[j'nuh]

Hape and Waldrom should be ahsamed of themselves. Tuilagi spent half his childhood there (even though this was done illegally) so I can understand him representing England, but those other two are blatantly not English. They've represented another country as adults (Hape in league, Waldrom in NZ Maori).. not wanting to incite another eligibility war but it continues to p*ss me of.

Because national identity is as simple as that. As if first-generation immigrants couldn't possibly identify as British/English.