When Youth Meets Experience: Fin Baxter and Dan Cole’s England Partnership
When Fin Baxter made his England debut, veteran prop Dan Cole was preparing for his GCSE exams. Now, this unlikely duo is set to spearhead England’s efforts to level the series against the mighty All Blacks.
The 15-year age gap between the inexperienced Test prop and the seasoned campaigner is striking. Baxter earned his first cap, while Cole matched Jason Leonard’s record as England’s most-capped male forward with his 114th appearance in Dunedin. Despite their career disparities, they are poised to form a crucial alliance at Eden Park on Saturday, as England seek to resolve the scrum issues that contributed to their agonizing one-point defeat last weekend.
Baxter’s introduction came earlier than anticipated in the series opener. Instead of being deployed as a second-half substitute for Joe Marler, he had to take the field before the end of the first quarter after Marler suffered a foot injury and was ruled out of the second Test.
The 22-year-old loosehead impressed with his composure and performance, making a striking tally of 16 tackles, carrying effectively, and battling hard in the scrum. “I’m so proud to represent England, and put in a good shift,” Baxter said after the match.
Marler, Baxter’s Harlequins teammate, paid tribute to the young prop’s seamless transition to the Test arena. “He took to the Test arena like a fish to water,” Marler said. “The baby-faced assassin didn’t look out of place for a second on that field.”
Harlequins’ scrum coach, Adam Jones, echoed the positive assessment, stating that Baxter was “outstanding” and made a strong impression with his defense and scrummaging, despite the challenges posed by the opposition loosehead.
As England prepare for the second Test, the veteran Cole is expected to return to the starting front row, providing his vital “nous” and experience to complement Baxter’s youthful energy and talent. The task for the duo will be to put pressure on the All Blacks’ loosehead, Ethan De Groot, and force him to scrummage legally.
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