Forward thinking Jeff is working hard to be scrum player for Wasps
WE’RE 30 seconds into Jeff Toomaga-allen’s first answer to his opening question and one word has already made a hat-trick of appearances. The tighthead prop, who played in Friday’s 32-17 win over Worcester became the latest New Zealand-born star to make the switch to Coventry last summer, arriving with 100 Super Rugby appearances for the Hurricanes under his belt and one All Blacks cap to boot.
A year on from switching hemispheres along with his wife, Margaret and their boy Spencer, the Toomagaallens appear to be embracing all the opportunities life in England can bring. Their collective fun and games frequently feature on social media.
All that was missing for Jeff was delivering where it mattered – on the pitch.
Will Stuart and Jake Cooper-woolley’s departures left big gaps for Wasps to fill and the acquisition of the 29-year-old was to challenge for Kieran Brookes’ number three shirt. But it has been anything but plane sailing.
While he has clocked up 14 appearances in black and gold, he was yet to make a Premiership start for his new club until today’s clash with Sale.
Above the weather, lifestyle, or being away from family and friends, it was a shortcoming in the number one discipline for a player in his position that has held back Toomaga-allen since joining his fellow countrymen Jimmy Gopperth, Malakai Fekitoa, Lima Sopoaga and former Hurricanes team-mate Brad Shields at Wasps.
“On the pitch was my scrummaging,” he said, weighing up the biggest challenge faced so far. “I’m not going to lie. It’s very different styles, northern and southern hemisphere, I feel like I have been here for a year now and I am settled.
“I think I just had to find my confidence.
“I’ve really been working hard on my scrummaging specifically.
“The big difference for me was the scrummaging and the pace of the game.
“It’s a bit slower so I had to adjust and adapt my game to suit Wasps’ style. Which is great. It’s both challenging and rewarding for me.
“Off the field, not much change. My family love the change, I love the change, we all love it over here and like it in the UK.”
While former England international Brookes has been a model of consistency in the number three shirt, his strongest rival for the jersey has come from Biyi Alo. Once headlined as ‘the heaviest player in the
Premiership,’ and initially signed as injury cover from Championship club Coventry – where he was seldom played – Alo has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Including Friday night’s clash against Worcester Warriors, he has started three of Wasps’ last five games and scored a crucial try in first-half injury time away at London Irish to help swing momentum back his side’s way. Toomagaallen, a Super Rugby winner, was suddenly playing midweek rugby for the A league as he searched for answers to adapt to the English game.
Setbacks that damaged confidence levels, even if his smile remained as broad as ever. “Unconsciously it had [affected confidence].” he said. “It was evident in the fact I wasn’t playing much. I played a couple of A league games. I am not going to lie, I didn’t come here to play A league games. That’s no disrespect towards that, it’s a great competition, but I want to play first grade rugby. I think I had to earn that. I feel like I am slowly earning that at the moment. There are great players here at the Wasps, I am trying to compete and earn a position every week.” Help to turn the corner has come in many forms from both inside and outside the club.
Neil Fowkes’ arrival from Nottingham
Rugby as a part-time scrummaging coach has been pivotal. So has the honest and frank views of those whose job it is to push back against tightheads to earn their crust.
“The new coach Fowkesy, he’s helping out with our scrum as a whole. But for me personally, it’s the boys and the team being specific with feedback. Guys like Simon Mcintyre, Tom West, pretty much all the looseheads. Then I lent on the tightheads as well. More so the feedback from the looseheads, what I am doing right, what I am doing wrong. What I need more of, this and that.”
He added: “Looking at other tightheads in the league that have been around for a while. Guys like John Afoa, I’ve been looking up to him. Looking at how he came to the UK, I’ve been messaging him a bit. Not specifically about rugby but there, having him in the corner as a role model of mine is good for the confidence.”
Afoa, aged 36, remains a key part of Bristol Bears’ pursuit of silverware having ended his 38-cap All Blacks career to join Gloucester in 2014 before moving to Ashton Gate in 2018.
Another Kiwi, and perhaps the biggest obstacle to Toomaga-allen adding to his solitary international cap earned in 2013 against Japan is two-time World Cup winner, Owen Franks, was in close company last weekend. The 108-cap star was on the bench for the clash between Northampton Saints and Wasps - but it was Toomagaallen who won this particular ‘headto-head.’
Four minutes before half-time, former England prop Brookes suffered a shoulder injury that ended his afternoon.
With Wasps eight points to the good and with an attacking scrum, it was his first chance to showcase how far he has come since tackling his scrummaging demons head on. He held firm and played his part in Wasps securing a fourth consecutive bonus point victory.
“Let’s be honest, I am either going on at a scrum or a lineout. It was tough, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“Everything that I prepared for went to plan and even things that didn’t go to plan, I was prepared.
“I had confidence in my preparation which is great.”
He added: “I think also, being given the confidence from Lee Blackett has been a great thing for me too.
“Giving me the reins to just play and be confident in myself, open up and do what I do.”
Brookes is potentially sidelined for up to a month and with games coming thick and fast, Toomagaallen could’ve timed his run of form and spike in confidence perfectly to help drive Wasps to a fourth play-off sealing topfour spot in five seasons.
The big difference for me was the scrummaging and the pace of the game. It’s a bit slower so I had to adjust and adapt. Jeff Toomaga-allen