Ethan ready to step up Saints’ sibling rivalry

The prop scored two tries, including the winner, in the 33-27 pre-season victory against Worcester Warriors at Franklin’s Gardens last Friday.

And now he is eager to stamp his mark on the competitive action, with Saints starting the new Aviva Premiership season at Worcester this Friday.

Waller will be up against his brother, Alex, and Alex Corbisiero for the loosehead spot, and the 23-year-old is relishing the challenge.

“The competition between looseheads is getting tighter and tighter each year,” the Academy graduate said.

“You saw my brother and Corbs battling it out last year and I had a bit of time before Christmas.

“This year, we’ve been fighting each other all pre-season, and it’s been a long pre-season.

“I’ve had a good bit of game time over the past few games and now it’s just about who goes into the game this week with the shirt and who’s got some stuff to work on.”

Alex Waller, who scored the winning try in Saints’ Premiership final triumph against Saracens in 2014, has been the sibling hogging the majority of the limelight.

But Ethan is ready to turn the tables on his brother during the forthcoming campaign.

“I’m itching to play,” he said.

“With two competitions to focus on this year and not really any rest we’re going to have to share the workload a bit, whether that’s through injury we don’t really know.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of my brother and Corbs, as we say every year, but I’m hoping I can up my game and push one of them out this year.

“This is my sixth season here now and I’ve been here long enough to know how it works.

“My brother is getting a bit older now (Alex is two years older than Ethan) so maybe we should just push him away.

“I give him a bit of stick about getting older, he played 100 games on the bounce almost and the competition’s there.”