THE Six Nations has turned into something of a family affair for the Fagersons.
Zander Fagerson has made Gregor Townsend’s starting fifteen for both of Scotland’s matches of the tournament so far while at the weekend, his younger brother, Matt, got the call to let him know he was being called up to the Scotland squad for the remaining three games of this year’s championship.
The pair are now sharing a room at the team hotel in Edinburgh and it is, says the younger Fagerson, special to be alongside his brother for the highs when they have been there for each other for the lows throughout their careers too.
“He’s been pretty good with me while I‘ve been down – my mind has not always been on the ball with niggles and suspensions and missing Japan,” the flanker said.
“I’m massively proud of him.
“When it comes to Scotland, I think his performances have been up and down, and he’s been quite tough on himself when he’s played. So, it has been really good to see him get two games under his belt and been able to bring his form playing for Glasgow to Scotland.
“I knew he could do it, and it has just been really nice for him to finally realise is as well.”
Fagerson need not look too far in the past to recall the niggles and suspensions he talks of.
In the past six months alone, he has had to cope with missing out on Gregor Townsend’s World Cup squad, being suspended for three weeks for his club side, Glasgow Warriors, for illegally leading with his forearm when they faced La Rochelle and then after only 40 minutes on the pitch following his ban, he broke a rib and had to sit on the sidelines for a month, which led to him initially missing out on inclusion in Townsend’s Six Nations squad.
It has, admits Fagerson, been a tough spell.
“There was about six weeks where we had games and it was good to get that run,” he said of the start of the season.
“Then I had the ban, and I was a bit frustrated at not being able to play. And then I couldn’t play against Sale away and all the boys did so well, and while you love seeing that you’re kicking your got heels because you just want to be out there. So it’s been a bit stop-start, but it’s been really important to keep positive all the time and making sure you don’t dwindle off and put on kegs.
“I was losing my mind a bit but coming back has been good.”
Fagerson has been called into the Scotland squad at a vital juncture. On Saturday, they travel to Rome to face Italy and having lost the opening two fixtures of the Six Nations, they are under considerable pressure to win.
There is however, no anxiety seeping into the squad, says the flanker, with a good performance the only focus.
“I think if you fear failure then you are waiting for it to happen, so I don’t think anyone is thinking: ‘Oh sh*t, what if we lose’,” he said.
“We’re going out to do a job and if we all get our roles right then that should be enough to get the result, and show what we are all about.”
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