Big brother looking out for Fagerson
WHEN Matt Fagerson opened his inbox to discover an email from Gregor Townsend calling him up to the Scotland squad, the 19-year-old feared he was the victim of a practical joke.
Who could blame him? As a current member of the SRU Academy system, international recognition within the senior set-up seemed a long way off for the fledgling back-row forward.
It was only when he checked with his elder brother Zander, 21, who had received a similar correspondence, that he accepted it was the real thing.
‘It was a complete surprise,’ said Matt, the youngest man called up by Townsend to the two-day training camp. ‘I thought it was one of my Under-20 team-mates having a joke.
‘After I got the email calling me up, I had to check with Zander to see if it was true. I asked if he had had an email that night as well and he said he had. It is still a bit surreal, but I am really excited to be involved.’
Zander has already won 12 Scotland caps after making his debut as a 20-year-old and being able to tap into his experience has provided an early boost.
‘It is good having him here as he is helping me out with plays,’ said Matt. ‘He came into the Scotland camp as a young guy, too, and has been through the whole process before, so that helps me.
‘If I do something wrong, he will give me a pointer or a kick, depending on what he feels like. He is a big help.’
Emulating his brother’s swift rise through the ranks to become a regular in international rugby will be a tough task, given the fierce competition in the back row.
‘I want to make a claim and play the best I can,’ added Matt. ‘Zander has done an amazing job, but you don’t need that pressure when you are trying to play.
‘Being part of the Academy, I do all the training with Glasgow and, if they want me to stay on and see me a bit more, I stay on.
‘My aim is to play for Glasgow as much as I can and take it from there, but I know there are a lot of young guys and a lot of competition in the back row from the likes of Ryan Wilson, Adam Ashe and Callum Gibbins.’
Mixing with the current Scotland stars is another positive step and Matt added: ‘I grew up watching a lot of them, so it is pretty cool but they are down-to-earth guys and quite easy to talk to.
‘There is John Barclay and I’ve spoken to Greig Laidlaw, as well. They are very welcoming and have helped me out.
‘When I am here, I want to soak it all in as I am training with the best guys in the country, so I want to get as much out of it as I can and tap into the experienced guys.
‘You don’t turn up to a Scotland camp just to be there and have fun. You have to train and you have to focus and get your head down, do the hard yards and the hard work.
‘It will be good getting stuck in as much as I can. I also want to get used to the set-up at a Scotland camp and the way Gregor Townsend wants to play.
‘Come the autumn, depending on how you are playing for your club, everyone has a claim for a game.’