YOUNG GUNS
Worcester are all about youth right now and as one of eight new recruits into the senior academy at Sixways, back rower Jack Forsythe is out to make his mark.
A mobile presence who started as a fiveyear-old at Claverdon RFC, near Warwick, before joining Stratford RFC and coming to the attention of Warriors while attending Warwick School, Forsythe, 18, is on the same fast-track that brought Ted Hill to national attention.
“Ted’s become a bit of a talisman for the club,” says Forsythe of 21year-old Hill, who was capped by England against Japan in 2018. “It’s good to see guys like him and Ollie Lawrence making a big impression for Worcester, especially as they’re relatively close in age to me, and there’s definitely a lot of young blood coming through that the club is very proud of.”
Having twice been selected to represent England U18s last year, Forsythe unluckily missed out on both occasions through injury. He explained: “I hurt my collarbone prior to the Six Nations but got another call ahead of the South Africa tour in August, only to injure my ankle in training.
“I was gutted to miss that trip but I guess you could call that disappointment character building and happily I got back in time for our academy league season at Worcester.
I was really pleased with the way that went and managed to secure a senior academy contract.
“That gave me a lot of confidence and eight of us were selected from that group, so it’s good that Alan Solomons is looking to us younger lads. They’re a great bunch of boys and although I haven’t trained too much with the first team yet, I’m looking forward to that.”
Asked to describe his attributes, Forsythe says: “I’ve always played in the forwards and see myself as a reliable defender, and rather than being an up-front ballcarrier, I like to think I can find a bit of space with footwork and speed rather than running into people.
“I like to offload out of the tackle as well so even though I’ve played a lot at No.8, I probably see myself as more of a Sam Simmonds than a Billy Vunipola. Depending on your game plan, you might need a more mobile No.8 and that’s probably where I fit best.
“Teams need a bit of both and the game is definitely becoming more mobile, so I’d hope to score highly there next season as I work my way through the ranks.”
As well as Hill, Forsythe has other role models. He adds: “Clubwise, we’ve also got a guy like Chris Pennell who’s got fantastic experience and offers wise advice.
“Wider afield and more relevant to my position, I do like watching New Zealand’s Ardie Savea for the integrity of everything he does, particularly his speed and mobility.
“Then if you look at someone like Tom Curry with his defence and ability to get over the ball, that’s really impressive and those are the standards I’m aspiring to.”