He is England’s next prop idol, receiving Joe Marler’s seal of approval. A debate is already starting on which side will best utilize its potential.
And on Saturday, Sale Sharks youngster Asher Opoku-Fordjour will face Leinster maverick pair Andrew Porter and Cian Healy, who have the best part of 200 Ireland caps between them in just his fourth professional game. “It was a bit crazy,” Opoku-Fordjour told Telegraph Sport.
The 19-year-old made his debut last month, coming off the bench against Harlequins a fortnight ago, and Marler went out of his way to praise his potential in a live interview on TNT Sport (watch the video below). “It feels good to hear someone with such accolades recognize me and give me some praise,” Opoku-Fordjour said. “It was very cool.”
Even more impressive was his performance against Stade Francais, playing 47 minutes against what many experts consider to be the most dominant attacking team in the Top 14. That’s why he’s so overrated, although as the youngest of four brothers he hasn’t let it get to his head.
“I don’t tend to show off,” Opoku-Fordjour said. “My siblings keep me going. “They keep me on my toes and make sure I don’t step out of line.”
And it’s not just the fans who are excited. At Sale’s deserted Carrington training ground on Wednesday, England scrum coach Tom Harrison arrived to discuss Opoku-Fordjour’s progress with Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson, among other matters, although their views were not entirely aligned.
“He sees Asher as a loose cannon,” Sanderson said. “I don’t agree. I think we have a lot of airheads with good mobility and a little bit of a quick twitch, and technically it’s easier to get into position correctly. Asher can work hard and that’s really rare, rare as a teddy bear. She can be a good looser but like Bev (Rodd) “He’s similar to others at his position. He can be a tremendous tight end given his mobility and ability to keep up with the offense.”
Opoku-Fordjour remains on the outer edges of Harrison’s radar. Tight head James Harper, who can squat 300kg and bench press 200kg, is more likely to enter the Six Nations equation.
But it feels like a dream for Opoku-Fordjour to head to a sold-out RDS Arena after starting the season at Sedgley Park and Sale in the National Leagues. “At the beginning of the season I wanted to cement my place in the England Under-20s and train there more often,” Opoku-Fordjour said. “I thought maybe I could participate in team training wisely. I’ve definitely never seen what I’m doing now happen so quickly. It’s been a great opportunity. I just had to get it. Facing Healy and Porter is a huge challenge. I hope I just do my job.”
‘I started from the wing’
None of this was predetermined. Opoku-Fordjour was nowhere near the front row when he started playing rugby at the age of 10 at Broadstreet Rugby Club. “I started as a winger, then I went to centres, then I went to wingers, then I became a hooker, I realized I couldn’t shoot and eventually I became a supporter,” said Opoku-Fordjour. “It was a long and winding road to find my right home.”
Nor was he seen as a superstar in the making, at least not at first. He was released from the Worcester Warriors academy and then needed a kick in the back from Wasps academy coach Richard Beck. “I remember him taking me around the field and saying we saw potential in you, but you need to work harder, push yourself harder,” Opoku-Fordjour said. “He compared me to Greg Fisilau (now Exeter’s second) as a guy with natural talent and everything it takes. He told me at the moment that he wasn’t doing it. From then on I held on to him and he really dragged me to where I am now. He’s taken all my games with me.” “He played. He was really good to me and that made me want him more.”
When Wasps went under, Opoku-Fordjour had no shortage of offers but opted for Sale, partly because of the way they pushed their young players. His reputation continued to grow throughout the summer as he was part of the England forward line that forced Ireland into a penalty try at the Under-20 World Championship.
“It felt great,” Opoku-Fordjour said. “It was a great feeling. When you face a good offense, you want to look back and watch and see what you did to move forward. “My mentality is to dominate, go forward and win penalties.”
This will be a tough task against Leinster, especially with Sale leaving most of their big guns in Manchester, but as Sanderson said he has not yet found his limit. “We’ve been very conscious about his progression and understanding at what level he can score points. He did it in the Premier League. Then he did it last week in the Champions Cup and we haven’t found his ceiling yet. It will probably be this weekend. Potentially it will be at international level. That’s what’s so exciting.”