As England continue upon their new era after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the squad is steadily being assembled with young talents to take Steve Borthwick’s side into the future. England’s recent Summer Tour of Japan and New Zealand presented the latest chapter in what Borthwick called a ‘constant evolution’, with the front row at the heart of the progression this Month.
Following an untimely foot injury to prop stalwart Joe Marler, 22-year-old Fin Baxter was called upon to make his England Test debut. The Harlequin shone upon his hour-long run-out against the All Blacks, and followed this up with his first Test start at Eden Park seven days later. However, whilst Baxter is providing some answers towards the future of the England’s loose-head props, Borthwick could well look to the England U20s to find the man to replace Dan Cole.
Gloucester Rugby prop Afolabi Fasogbon has been making waves in the England pathway, and recently won the U20 World Championships with Mark Mapletoft’s side in South Africa. The tight-head could soon be set to join the England tight-head ranks, with Cole admitting after the second Test against New Zealand, that he is taking it ‘day by day’ in regards to his Test match career.
Fasogbon is one a handful of exciting young props, that are showing England fans glimpses of a future front row. The 19-year-old spoke exclusivly to RUCK, about his partnerships with the likes of Sale’s loose-head Asher Opoku-Forjour and Bath’s tight-head Billy Sela, who will all soon be pushing for a place in the senior England camp.
“My partnership with Asher, we got on really well last year. We played some good games together. And I feel like the way we both scrum especially last year complemented each other off the pitch as well. We spent a lot of time together. And I think we’re really good mates and I’m happy he’s on the team.
“And with Billy, I think he’s a very good player. I’m almost excited as well, that he’s been with this camp. And we can learn stuff off each other as well. There’s that healthy rivalry as well. The knowledge that Billy’s a very good player, and I think he’s got a big future ahead of him. Off the pitch as well actually they’re both really good lads.
“We have a lot of good banter as well, but we do help each other we will sit down and review scrum session and talk to each other about how we can get better. So I always say they’re supportive as well. The bond we have on and off the field is useful for each other’s development.”
Fasogbon has been progressing at an impressive rate, after picking up the sport of rugby union at a relatively late age. The Gloucester prop only began playing his journey within rugby at 13-years-old, and was promptly called up for his England U18 debut against Italy, at just 16 years of age.
Despite scrummaging against players two years his senior, Fasogbon held his own and has remained on the England pathway books ever since. Fasogbon discussed both his maiden cap at England level, and also his first try, which also came up against the Azzurri. Fasogbon also expressed how a friendship born from mutual respect, has arisen with his opposite man in the Italian age-grade set-up.
“So I’ll start with the U18s (debut) game, that was a big achievement for me. Obviously at the time, when I played that game I would have been 16, So that would have been maybe two or three years after I started playing rugby. So to get to where I did it was very, very special for me and more importantly the friends for life I’ve built through that camp.”
“The second is special for me as well, that was my first try, that Six Nations. I was pleased with that as well to do it at my ‘now’ club as well, which is Gloucester, which was quite cool. At the time it wasn’t (my club) but now knowing that that was to be my club, it’s quite nice.”
“A (Italy) player who I’ve played against, who I’ve watched and is also my position a really nice bloke, Marcos Gallorinni, had some healthy competition with him. There was that U19s game last year, but I think that might have been under the radar. I don’t think it was put anywhere publicly. But, we get on as well off the field, he’s just someone that I’ve befriended on the way, who understands what the opportunity means to play for England (or Italy).”
As the front-rower alluded towards, Fasogbon has not always found a home in the Cherry and White of Gloucester Rugby. Before arriving at Kingsholm, the tight-head ran out in the pack for London Irish, yet was forced to break away from his band of Exiles when the club collapsed at the end of the 2022/23 season. A talent of Fasogbon’s quality did not have to tread the waters of free agency for long, with George Skivington on hand to offer him a new home in the West Country.
Even whilst Fasogbon was an unsigned man, the young prop could not let his uncharted territory distract him from the task at hand. The former Irish prop explained how he had to put his full focus into U20 Summer exhibitions against Georgia, before heading to the land of the Springboks for the 2023 U20 World Championships with some former London Irish teammates.
“Obviously, it’s tough. I mean, it’s sad to see three clubs in the Premiership go. But at the time, I knew I had to jump to that opportunity. And that was, well it was similar to this time last year, and that was to get myself ready for Georgia (England U10 Summer Test) and to get myself ready for the World Cup, and go and perform in South Africa.”
“So it’s not necessarily that I had to park it (emotions with London Irish’s collapse), but I knew that I couldn’t let it necessarily affect me. It was also good that I had support around me from people who were all going through the same things.
“One of our (London Irish) physios was on tour with us throughout Georgia and the World Cup, obviously Chandler Cunningham-South, there was Irish with me. So obviously, it was tough but I think I think I handled it correctly. Thanks to again the people I had around me, and they put me in a good spot to be able to go and perform and be able to sign for Gloucester.”
Fasogbon would make his debut for Gloucester in the 2023/24 Premiership Rugby Cup, as the Cherry and Whites hosted Nottingham down at Kingsholm. Despite not experiencing the bounce of a packed out Kingsholm Shed for the match against the Archers, Fasogbon was delighted to get his first taste of rugby in front of the famous red and white stands.
Fasogbon was not alone for his maiden cap for the Cherry and Whites, as he was joined by fellow debutant Archie McArthur, and formed a solid propping partnership in the second half with the former Wasps man.
“I did it with Archie McArthur as well and we both came off the bench. He was loose I was tight-head, I felt like in the game we complemented each other really well, which was quite nice obviously playing with him all throughout the summer. We won a few scrum pens with him. He put me on the line break as well.
“So yeah, it was nice. Especially to play my first game for my new club at home as well. It was nice meeting some of the new fans and the crowd wasn’t even necessarily big for that game, but it made me feel welcome.”
The crowd may not have been the biggest for Fasogbon’s first Gloucester cap, when compared to the hostile environment he faced upon his London Irish debut. Running out at the Twickenham Stoop against Harlequins, Fasogbon showed no fear for his first Exiles cap despite the match falling in the midst of the West London Derby. Fasogbon recalled how he came head-to-head with a recent England debutant, and expects big things from Baxter in the Red Rose.
“That was a good game. I remember I had some good scrums against Fin Baxter. I remember he came up to me after the game and he complimented me. And to see where he is now, I think he’s got a promising future. It was special for me.”