2008 Match Day Q&A - Tom Carter
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Question & Answer: TOm Carter
his time has come
Match: HSBC Waratahs v Cheetahs
Date: March 28, 2008
Interview: BEN KIMBER
Images: GETTY IMAGES
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EMERGING HSBC Waratahs midfielder Tom Carter has been through some tough times with injury.
But now that the Sydney Uni centre has strung together a number of Super 14 matches in a row, he reckons that the wait although painful and frustrating at the time was worth it – and it has made him a better footballer.
“It was tough, particularly as I spent two of those years battling injuries, but in some ways those injured seasons have helped me out,” he tells Waratahs Match Program in this exclusive interview.
And he reckons hanging out with other 2007 crocks like Phil Waugh and Dan Vickerman helped him out tremendously.
“Just training alongside those guys and seeing how hard they worked really showed me where I needed to be. At times when you battle injury you get a bit dejected and wonder if it’s all worthwhile and if you’ll ever get there, so watching those guys was great for me,” Carter added.
WARATAHS MATCH PROGRAM: Your Super 14 debut must have seemed a long time coming, how did you feel when you were selected?
TOM CARTER: It really is a clich©, but this was something I’d been dreaming about since I was a little kid. It felt great and I suppose I was really relieved at the same time after working for it for so long. There was a bit of disbelief I suppose at first and then I became really nervous as I wanted to make sure I got through the week before the game injury free, and also because I wanted to make sure I performed because when you realise that dream you don’t ever want it to end. I had waited for a while after I debuted for NSW on the tour of Argentina in 2004.
WMP: How tough was it being part of the squad for that long yet not cracking the Super 14 side?
TC: It was tough, particularly as I spent two of those years battling injuries, but in some ways those injured seasons have helped me out. Last year particularly when I had syndesmosis in my left ankle then on the right, I actually ended up spending a lot of time around Phil Waugh and Dan Vickerman as they were also on the injured list, and just training alongside those guys and seeing how hard they worked really showed me where I needed to be. At times when you battle injury you get a bit dejected and wonder if it’s all worthwhile and if you’ll ever get there, so watching those guys was great for me. And I came back having stripped a bit of weight off and ready to play. The hardest thing was watching other guys run around, but I’m there now.
WMP: That must mean you are under a fair bit of pressure to perform?
TC: Yeah, but that’s the cut-throat nature of sport for everyone, maybe more so for us than other sports. This is only a 13-week competition before the finals so you can’t afford to have even one down game. There’s plenty of talent around as well, particularly in the midfield with guys like Ben Jacobs, Timana Tahu and so on, so you’re always going to operate under that sort of pressure. It actually helps though because you can learn so much off the guys around.
WMP: With that kind of competition around for your position, what did you think gave you the edge this year?
TC: I think they really wanted that confrontational style of No.12 in defence, and the ability to really get over the gain line in attack. I think also my versatility there might have helped out as I’ve also played at 13 and spent a trial match on the wing
WMP: You’ve settled into the role now after being around the squad, so how do you think the team is shaping up differently this year to previous campaigns?
TC: I think everyone came through last season and we’re better off for it this year. It was a very tough year last year, and I think it maybe has also shaped this season because there’s a bit of a feeling about now or never to win the title after dropping back last year. And that feeling of taking our chance this season is also because there’s a bit of that changing of the guard on the horizon with guys like Dan Vickerman heading of and a few others that have gone or could be. But we’ve got great depth in the squad, some great young backs, the addition of a guy like Timana Tahu and I really think we can give it a good shake particularly as we have a couple of advantages.
WMP: What kind of advantages?
TC: Well for one, I think the amount of exposure our squad has had to the ELVs makes a big difference, with guys having played with them in the ARC and club Rugby. I think we’re playing well to them and it shows up another strength of ours, which is the athleticism across the board in the squad.
WMP: Do you think you’ve played too conservatively at times, with plenty of reports saying NSW play too tight a game?
TC: We’ve had a lot of wet conditions so that’s probably skewed the overall feel for the way we have been and can play, as it hasn’t exactly been perfect for throwing the ball around a lot of the time. But we’ve been playing good solid footy, only for about 65 or 70 minutes, then we’ve let ourselves down a couple of times with some concentration lapses. So we’re just not putting it together the way we not only want to, but the way we know we can. When we get that consistency we’ll be able to play more of the mix of game that we know we can.
WMP: Has the new backline coach Todd Louden had an influence on you, particularly as you used to face his Randwick teams all the time in club Rugby?
TC: Todd has been fantastic and has had a massive influence, particularly with our starter plays and our accuracy and execution. And we really feel we’re getting in together as the season moves along. Funnily enough, I probably feel as much influence from Todd’s Bulls experience as much as Randwick, but that’s also definitely there.
WMP: Who else has been important for you in terms of fitting into the starting side and getting your game together?
TC: Lote’s been exceptional for me, he’s really kind of taken me under his wing. And guys like Phil Waugh and Dan Vickerman obviously have a big influence on everyone. I’ve also found playing alongside Ben Jacobs has been great because he’s such a cool head. He’s had his share of injuries and come through a number of times so I think it’s given him a really wise kind of approach.
WMP: You didn’t mention Will Caldwell there, but you’ve played alongside him a bit before haven’t you?
TC: Yeah, we started out in the Koalas, the under-5s soccer team in Young. Then we started our Rugby career with the Yabbies in the Under 11s, which must have been about 1992/93 or so,, and we’ve pretty much played together most of our careers down through to Sydney University. So it’s pretty incredible to be playing alongside a mate like that who has been with me right from the start through to where we are now. It’s pretty special.
TEN QUESTIONS
If I wasn’t a Rugby player I’d be ….. an environmental scientist.
My mates think I look like ….. Lloyd Christmas, the guy from Dumb and Dumber.
I think ….. Will Caldwell…… is funny because ….. no-one in their right mind thinks the kind of stuff he wears is fashion.
The best game I’ve seen is ….. the 2000 Bledisloe match where New Zealand led early but Australia came back, only for the Kiwis to win it on the bell.
The last book I read was ….. an environmental science textbook.
In 20 years time I’d like to be ….. retired to a north coast town running a fishing charter business.
I couldn’t live without ….. yoghurt and foxtel
My worst habit is ….. leaving the whole house a mess, according to my wife.
You wouldn’t know it but I’m good at … cricket, I’m an all-rounder, and yoga.
The non-sportsman I would most like to put a big hit on is ….. Tah Man