Meteoric rise has given me goosebumps
Feyi-Waboso has gone from English rugby’s third tier to Twickenham hero
IMMANUEL FeyiWaboso exudes the same positive energy when he talks as he does when he plays, so he was full of gushing enthusiasm and awe after playing a key role in England’s win over Ireland.
‘It’s a fairytale,’ said Exeter’s 21-year-old wing sensation, who has very much hit the ground running at international level.
‘My first start, a huge win against Ireland. Marcus Smith coming back from injury, a huge drop-goal win. Danny Care on his 100th Test, a huge win.
‘It’s a fairytale for a lot of us. It’s class. Nothing like it. It’s ecstasy. When the dropgoal went over, it was crazy. It didn’t feel real. It was emotional.
‘The whole experience was crazy — the ups and downs, hearing Swing Low in the stadium. I didn’t think you’d hear it because you’re in the zone but during breaks in play, it’s crazy when you hear that.
‘I had goosebumps when I heard that.’
Feyi-Waboso’s enthusiasm is infectious. His wide-eyed wonder about what is happening to him in a hurry is almost as enjoyable to witness as his broken-field running.
Having scored a first Test try in the defeat against Scotland at Murrayfield, the Cardiff-born prodigy marked his first England start with a dashing display of fearless attacking, work-rate, physicality and defensive commitment.
Despite appearing to be utterly unfazed by his first Six Nations campaign, the flying Chief confessed that is not quite the case. So what has stopped him in his tracks?
‘All of it,’ he said. ‘The hotel we’re staying at. All the hotels we stay at! The food, the chefs, everywhere we go. Chartered flights! Coaches, players, being around all the big names and seeing them every day. It’s still weird.’
The international newcomer has only recently established himself in professional rugby.
He moved across the WelshEnglish border to pursue his medical studies and after a stint at Wasps, the collapse of that club led to his relocation to Devon and a period of personal development in the third tier of English rugby.
This was 18 months ago. ‘It’s been crazy,’ said FeyiWaboso.
‘When I first joined Exeter Chiefs they said, “OK, we’ll put you on loan, you’re in Nat 1 with Taunton”.
‘I needed to find my way into that team, then pre-season with Chiefs, find my way into that team.’
THERE was an uncomfortable back-drop to FeyiWaboso’s England call-up, because it meant he was not going to represent the country where he was born and raised.
There had been some outrage on the western side of the Severn Bridge when Steve Borthwick named him in a Six Nations training squad in January.
But asked, tongue in cheek, if his Welsh friends are going easy on him now, Feyi-Waboso said: ‘Yeah, they have calmed down. It seems like people have forgotten all that.’
Having been selected to start against Ireland, FeyiWaboso admitted that he was ‘more nervous’ on the eve of the match, than he had been previously as a replacement.
But the backing of Borthwick and his England assistants helped him to rise to the occasion.
‘Obviously, you feel a bit out of place. I’ve only played a couple of games but they make you feel way more comfortable. It allows you to express yourself.’
Feyi-Waboso certainly doesn’t look out of place. It is too early to be definitive but he looks like he belongs. The fairytale should go on and on.