Joe Marler enjoys playing the fool but when it comes to the speciality of front row play, he is a character whose endorsements carry weight. It was last November, fresh out of a third-place finish with England at the Rugby World Cup when some jokey touchline analysis live on TNT Sports about Harlequins versus Sale in the Gallagher Premiership suddenly turned serious.
“Do you not want any analysis? So there is a young tighthead that has come off the bench for Sale. He replaced James Harper in the warm-up, something like that… I have got a big thing about young, up-and-coming front-rowers. Fin Baxter for us… but this guy, No18, I like the look of.”
Marler is not alone in liking the look of Asher Opoku-Fordjour. Alex Sanderson, the youngster’s boss at the Sharks, is constantly singing the praises of his soon-to-be 20-year-old tighthead who enjoyed a breakthrough year at the Manchester club, making 11 Prem and Champions Cup…
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