England call up Thomas Waldrom as cover

[TRF_Olyy]

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

I once heard someone say Martin Johnson was a kiwi import because he played a few years in NZ :lol:



The NZ Maori aren't New Zealand's designated 'A' team, that's the Baby Blacks (no sure if they're still going or not though?)

Riki Flutey has played for NZ Maori as well

 

[jawmalawm24]

I once heard someone say Martin Johnson was a kiwi import because he played a few years in NZ :lol:



The NZ Maori aren't New Zealand's designated 'A' team, that's the Baby Blacks (no sure if they're still going or not though?)

Riki Flutey has played for NZ Maori as well

Neither team is going at the moment but it's more likely that the Junior All Blacks will probably return next year or later.

Anyway did Waldrom get the call up? I remember when he played in the Hurricanes the dude was as beast always breaking first tackles and making plenty of metres all season long for every season he played. He just never got no recognition from the All Blacks because at the time we had Rodney So'oialo, Jerry Collins etc. so you can kinda see why it was hard for him to make a good go for the black jersey. Anyway if he did get the call up all the best of luck to him. He was one of my favourite hit up players when he played hope he plays well

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I once heard someone say Martin Johnson was a kiwi import because he played a few years in NZ :lol:



The NZ Maori aren't New Zealand's designated 'A' team, that's the Baby Blacks (no sure if they're still going or not though?)

Riki Flutey has played for NZ Maori as well

The Baby Blacks are our U20 team - you mean the Junior All Blacks. But yeah, they haven't formed in a while...

Now I thought if you call up a player as an injury replacement, the injured player can't return to the squad? So what's going on here...?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The Baby Blacks are our U20 team - you mean the Junior All Blacks. But yeah, they haven't formed in a while...

Ah yeah, sorry - I knew it had "Blacks" in there somewhere



Waldrom hasn't been called up as a replacement, he's been called up as a "just in case" - He's not officially in the squad, he's just staying and training with them
If Easter's back doesn't get fixed then Waldrom will replace him

 

[Izzoard]

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.

Martin Johnson represented the AB's U20's (I think it was U20's anyways).

Nonetheless, Johnson has no option other than to play within the selection rules. Which are not tight enough IMHO but he can't ignore players who the IRB consider to be qualified.

 

[nickdnz]

Thomas Waldrom is a beast. Easily the best number eight in the Aviva Premiership in 2010. I can understand England fans not wanting him because he's not English (and I agree), but they're kidding themselves if they think Hape is more English than Waldrom. He deserves to be there as a talented player, just not as an English citizen (I'm as entitled to play for England as he is...).

 

[Duckdee]

^ What he said.

 

[donmcdazzle]

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

Waldrom didn't even realise he had english heritage until he was over there. Hape grew up and played league for NZ as an adult, pretty sure they are NZers. I think they identify with the financial benefits that come with playing for england.. Not having a pop at england by the way don't get me wrong. More at the opportunistic players. I'd be hacked off as a fan too, hated when they picked Fien for the kiwis.

 

[TRF_heineken]

soooooooo...

The Big Question is...

Will he do the same as the English Cricket team when they visit South Africa??

Stay with the team, or at his parents house?

 

[Jaws]

Can't beleive MJ has called this guy up... he's overweight, he's past his best, and worst of all he's a kiwi! Hell, the guy has never played for NZ at any level.. just wasn't good enough! Also, I find it a tad fishy how he found his grans birth certificate to prove he is of English decsent just before the World cup. I would play Haskell at 8 and maybe call up Luke Narroway as back row cover.

 

[Aout]

Thomas Waldrom is a beast. Easily the best number eight in the Aviva Premiership in 2010. I can understand England fans not wanting him because he's not English (and I agree), but they're kidding themselves if they think Hape is more English than Waldrom. He deserves to be there as a talented player, just not as an English citizen (I'm as entitled to play for England as he is...).

They probably don't, but I can understand that they are fed up having a national team where almost half of the players aren't English.

 

[psychic duck]

why an earth is Crane selected above Waldrom for Leicester?

he's miles better than Crane and probably Nick Easter as well

 

[TRF_Olyy]

They probably don't, but I can understand that they are fed up having a national team where almost half of the players aren't English.

It's no where near half
I've been through the squad before, listing how they're eligible, the only one I don't agree with is Hape in the RWC squad
The rest have either (at least) one English parent (Stevens, Armitage, Simpson), or moved here at a young age and played through the age grades (Tuilagi, Hartley, Corbisiero)
Waldrom is an odd one as he is a Kiwi, no two ways about it. He does have an English grandparent, so if eligible, but it doesn't feel right.

 

[Sixesandsevens]

I agree with Waldrom, I have no problem with most of the ones that get bought up by the press. Shaw was even mentioned as an import just because he happened to be born in Kenya. But Hape, Flutey and Waldrom dont seem right to me.

 

[Jaws]

How many of the current All Black side were poached from Samoa? I'm guessing the figure is about 4 or 5. At least most of the England team were either born in England or have English parents.

 

[cardassian]

How many of the current All Black side were poached from Samoa? I'm guessing the figure is about 4 or 5. At least most of the England team were either born in England or have English parents.

Depends on definition of poached.
If you mean how many didn't grow up in nz, go through our schooling system, go through our rugby programs, it would be none.
If you mean how many came over between the ages of 0 and 5 and then spent the rest of their lives living in nz it would be 4(Kaino, Muliaina, Toeava, B Franks).

Oh and by the way 67 kiwis are playing in the world cup, 26 for nz and 41 for others so it aint us doing the poaching, it's us propping up other teams.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, been well well well established that the "ABs are poachers" crap is just that - crap

 

[Peat]

Thomas Waldrom is a beast. Easily the best number eight in the Aviva Premiership in 2010. I can understand England fans not wanting him because he's not English (and I agree), but they're kidding themselves if they think Hape is more English than Waldrom. He deserves to be there as a talented player, just not as an English citizen (I'm as entitled to play for England as he is...).

Very, very few of us think Hape is English in the slightest, and probably even fewer of us want him in the squad anyway.

Although actually... Hape's been in the country since 2003, he could probably get a passport if he wanted and I can well believe a man can gain an affection and loyalty to a country in 8 years... Waldrom didn't even know his grandmother was English until he got here.

So, having given a bit of thought to it, I'd probably say that Hape is potentially a bit more English than Waldrom.

However, enough of that, you're available to play for England? Just give Jonno a ring, I understand that as long as you say "cool story bro" should he ask you anything you'll be selected in no time...

 

[Saintjay]

I think if it is within the rules so be it. A number of the home nations have been doing it for years. Look at the Granny Gate farce a few years ago with Wales. New Zealand have been known for picking Parcific Island players for years as well. What is good for the goose and all that.

 

[Aout]

You should't compare yourselves with kiwis, but rather with France, Ireland, Scotland or Wales.