ENGLAND HIT BY PROP CRISIS FOR SIX NATIONS
England are facing a crisis at tighthead prop after Asher Opoku-Fordjour was ruled out of the Six Nations with a shoulder injury that requires surgery.
Opoku-Fordjour, who has not played since November because of a separate elbow injury, faces a lay-off of about eight weeks because of a shoulder complaint he suffered in training at Sale Sharks.
“He will have surgery tomorrow in Cardiff which essentially will put him out for the next couple of months,” explained Alex Sanderson, Sale director of rugby, ahead of his side’s trip to Toulouse in the Champions Cup this weekend. “It is a real shocker for him, for us and for England.”
Prop Will Stuart suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon playing for Bath against Munster in December, which could end his season, and Opoku-Fordjour’s absence will compound that. England’s Six Nations campaign begins against Wales at Allianz Stadium on February 7.
The fitness of Joe Heyes, who has started five of England’s last seven Tests including three of four during the autumn, now seems crucial. Trevor Davison is likely to act as understudy to Heyes, with the uncapped duo of Afo Fasgobon and Billy Sela, aged 21 and 20 respectively, vying to be part of Steve Borthwick’s plans. Beyond that, George Kloska of Bristol Bears has been involved in training camps.
Fasogbon toured with England last summer without featuring in any of the three Tests against Argentina, who were beaten 2-0, and the United States. Opoku-Fordjour started against the latter in Washington, with Davison coming off the bench.
Borthwick’s tighthead stocks are still far stronger than they were in 2024, when Dan Cole won the last of his 118 caps aged 37. Even so, England’s resources will be stretched over the next two months and scrum coach Tom Harrison will need to lean on his expertise during the Six Nations campaign.
Opoku-Fordjour, Fasogbon and Sela were all part of the England Under-20 squad that won the World Championship in 2024 and have been earmarked for senior honours for some time, benefiting from the influence of pathway coach Nathan Catt.
Fasogbon and Sela featured for England A in November against All Blacks A and Spain, whereas Opoku-Fordjour appeared for Borthwick’s senior side against Fiji and Argentina.
Sanderson praised the maturity of Opoku-Fordjour. “It takes a special kind of person to take on the psychological load of playing international rugby at tighthead at 19 or 20 years old,” he said
“He already has that ability to handle, to reframe, to carry. Some people could go down rabbit holes, but he doesn’t. He just gets on with it. He is probably already looking ahead to how strong and fit and physical he is going to be when he comes back. That is the kind of character he is.”
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