Saints Q&A: Duty calls for fit-again Waller

The co-captain looked on helplessly as his beloved club fell to defeat after defeat following his Achilles injury back in February.

After rugby shut down due to Covid-19 in March, Saints emerged from self-isolation to play again from August.

But they won just once during a barren end to the season, with Waller consigned to a role of running water onto the field for his team-mates.

It was not what the prop, who scored the try that clinched Saints’ first, and so far only, Premiership title back in 2014, wanted at all.

But with the new season little more than a week away, Waller is now fit and raring to go, desperate to play his part in rescuing the Saints ship from choppy waters.

And he could be back in action as soon as this Friday, when Saints welcome Worcester Warriors to Franklin’s Gardens for a pre-season fixture that will be comprised of four 30-minute periods.

We caught up with Waller this week for a question and answer session via Zoom...

Q: First thing’s first, how are you feeling, Alex?

A: “I’m flying - I’m feeling really good.

“Lockdown did me a bit of a favour because I didn’t miss too many matches.

“I was planning to be back around this sort of time so I would have missed a little bit of this season, but fortunately the way it’s worked out I’m flying fit and ready to go in the games.

“I’ve been training fully, prepared fully, I’ve been running about and scrummaging for about two months now so all of the cobwebs are more or less out.”

Q: What was it like being injured and having to watch on as the team struggled to get wins?

A: “It’s difficult because you can’t influence anything on the pitch.

“I was fortunate enough to run water a couple of times and helping to deliver messages to steer the ship where I could and help the boys out.

“It was very difficult to watch.

“Myself and Tom Wood were both out of action for the latter half of last season, Woody with his black lung and me with my Achilles, so it was frustrating.

“We tried to help any way we could but there’s only so much you can do off the pitch.

“It wasn’t the end to the season any of us had hoped for.

“We were doing well in the first half of the season and we just had that win against Worcester after my rupture so I thought we were in a good place going into Lockdown.

“But we just failed to regain that momentum.

“It was very tough and not the end to the season any of us wanted.

“We always want to be pushing top four at least so not to get that was disappointing.

“But there are plenty of positives from last season if you look at the big picture.

“For the next couple of years, that period will actually do some of the young boys a lot of good, having been through that hardship and that pain.

“They had to negotiate it themselves and gain the experience themselves so it will do us some favours.

“It was tough to swallow at the time, but we’re looking forward now into the season coming.”

Q: How much of an input could you have while you were injured?

A: “I tried to help where I could.

“It was a difficult and fine balance to work and maybe I got it wrong, I don’t know, it’s something you’d have to ask some of the other boys.

“It’s difficult because on a matchday I don’t really want to interrupt what Tei (Harrison) is doing or what Bigs (Dan Biggar) is saying.

“I’ll interject and maybe have a quiet word with some of the lads here and there, but there’s only so much I can do or say without being out there and doing it.

“It was a fine balance and one I’m not sure I got right or not.

“But hopefully I can have more of an influence now I’m fit and raring to go.”

Q: How has your own personal journey been and are you back ahead of schedule?

A: “I am back ahead of schedule and I could have played last season had we got to semi-finals and finals.

“I was trying to put my hand up for the Gloucester game and get in the mix there but fair play to the medical staff, who looked after me, it wasn’t really worth the risk for a dead rubber game at the time.

“We decided just to focus on this season and it was a wise decision.

“I’m raring to go and I am ahead of schedule.

“It’s been a tough seven months but overall not as bad as I first envisaged.”

Q: What has it been like mentally for you and what’s kept you going outside of rugby?

A: “Conor Carey at Worcester, where my brother (Ethan) is playing, he did the same injury seven weeks ahead of me and he was very kind and gave me some of his time.

“He actually sent a scooter down with my brother when he came to visit!”

“He’s back playing now so we might lock horns in the future and it will be nice to catch up with him.

“The first few months I was off my feet and there wasn’t much I could do but obviously I’ve got my woodwork that I like to do so that kept me busy.

“There are plenty of jobs to do during lockdown, even though you can just find yourself on the couch playing Call of Duty, which I got pretty good at when I had my cast on.

“It kept me interlinked with the lads but it’s got dust on it now - I haven’t touched the Playstation for a long time.”

Q: It could be that you play as soon as this Friday, how exciting is that for you, even though there won’t be fans at the stadium?

A: “I’ve been in the environment while the lads have been playing with no crowd but not actually played yet so it will be interesting.

“Although I say I don’t notice the crowd when I’m playing, I obviously do but I’m so focused on my role and thinking about a million things, trying to help the lads and decide what we’re going to do.

“Hopefully I can just go back into autopilot and crack on and it won’t be too much of a change - just a bit quieter maybe.”

Q: What do you believe the squad is capable of this season?

A: “I think we’re capable of winning some trophies, I genuinely do.

“We’ve got great depth in the squad and some great youth coming through.

“Hopefully with some more experience we can take that into this season and surprise a few people.

“Personally I’d love to win trophies. We won the Premiership Rugby Cup a couple of years ago, but I want to get back to lifting some of the big trophies, the Premiership and in Europe.

“We want to mix it with the big boys and I just want to play and be as consistent as I can be.

“We’ve got great depth at loosehead so there’s plenty of competition and it breeds success.

“I want to start more than I bench and I want to lead the boys well.”