Some people are destined from day one to play international rugby for England. Others owe their selection to an injury crisis or simply get lucky. And then, in a totally different category, there is Steve Borthwick\u2019s latest new cap, a player whose unlikely journey to the top has required inspirational levels of resilience and fortitude.<\/p>\n
To describe the persevering Emmanuel Iyogun\u2019s debut off the bench in Argentina in July<\/a> as hard earned is to put it mildly. At times the Spain-born son of Nigerian immigrants has had to show immense levels of determination, just as his parents had predicted. \u201cThere was always a sense growing up of: \u2018You\u2019ll have to work harder than everyone else. You might not get the privileges that some people get initially.\u2019 So when you get told no or something doesn\u2019t go your way, you just have to keep working. There isn\u2019t any argument about it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n In Iyogun\u2019s case, a can-do attitude has been consistently required since Northampton<\/a> spotted him playing in Essex, where his mum was working as a nurse. Back then he was a teenage No 8, having previously played centre at Basildon RFC. Northampton\u2019s head of academy, Mark Hopley, thought the strapping young hopeful would prosper in the front row but not all his teammates were convinced. \u201cAlex Coles always laughs at me because he says I used to run away from rucks and just wanted to carry. So it\u2019s quite funny that my job description now is mainly cleaning rucks.\u201d<\/p>\n Emmanuel Iyogun celebrates victory over Argentina in July on his debut for England. Photograph: Ramiro Vega\/INPHO\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n Hopley persevered, though, and invited Iyogun to switch to the front row for an under-18s game against Leinster. \u201cI wasn\u2019t really on board with it but my personality is to just give anything a go.\u201d It was far from an instant success. \u201cI got absolutely dished up. I was going backwards at a rate of knots, it was one of the worst games I\u2019ve ever played. But we had a meeting afterwards and he [Hopley] highlighted my character. Even when I was getting dished up at every scrum, I was still fighting. I think he kept me in for that personality trait rather than my propping ability.\u201d<\/p>\n Fast forward a few months in 2020 and Northampton\u2019s first team had an injury crisis. The fledgling prop was unexpectedly pitched into an East Midlands derby against Leicester and was then required to start a Champions Cup quarter-final at Exeter the following week. He performed so valiantly in adversity that even England\u2019s watching coach Eddie Jones could be seen applauding from the stands. \u201cI had a lot of difficult days and I think it made me better. It got me to a point where, at 19, I was able to go into a quarter-final and survive.\u201d<\/p>\n He is also the type to take a punt, not least a couple of years ago when he decided to try to consult South Africa\u2019s scrummaging colossus Ox Nch\u00e9 for a few tips. \u201cI think they were playing Wales at Twickenham and he was in London. I found out he wasn\u2019t staying too far away so I messaged him out of the blue on Instagram saying, \u2018Do you mind if we have a catchup?\u2019 I just wanted to talk scrums.\u201d<\/p>\n To Nch\u00e9\u2019s credit he kindly agreed. The youngster couldn\u2019t believe his luck. \u201cI\u2019m a nobody, right? [But] he was like, \u2018Absolutely, yeah, of course.\u2019 I thought he was pranking me. But we went out for a drink and had a chat for about two hours. He\u2019s an absolute legend of a guy. He spoke about technique, his journey, what\u2019s been important to him. And that\u2019s something I\u2019ve massively learned from.\u201d Did Nch\u00e9, famously a believer that \u201csalads don\u2019t win scrums\u201d, order them anything to eat? \u201cNo salad, just massive cakes.\u201d<\/p>\n Emmanuel Iyogun played a prominent role in Northampton\u2019s title success last season. Photograph: Tom Sandberg\/PPAUK\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n The personable Iyogun, now 25, is similarly droll company. Not many pro sportsmen embark on a criminology degree \u2013 \u201cI like the gory stuff, I like the real intricate financial crime \u2026 I\u2019ve just always liked the idea of justice\u201d \u2013 although his rugby commitments have subsequently intervened. He must also be the only England player ever to turn up for an interview wearing a retro Spain national team football shirt, a recent present from his girlfriend. The family left Madrid for Glasgow when he was two, however, and his professional sporting loyalties are not remotely in dispute.<\/p>\n Ditto his commitment to Northampton. He was front and centre of the Saints\u2019 title success last season<\/a>, was influential again in last Friday\u2019s opening win over Newcastle Red Bulls<\/a> and is relishing his new life in the front row. \u201cNow I couldn\u2019t think of anything worse than being a back rower like Henry Pollock and running around. I love scrummaging.\u201d<\/p>\n The next challenge is Bristol Bears who will be missing the injured Ellis Genge, among his rivals for a regular Test starting place. Fin Baxter is in the frame, too, but Bevan Rodd\u2019s latest injury setback is another possible sign of Iyogun\u2019s changing fortunes. In 2024 he flew all the way to New Zealand for four days \u2013 \u201cI was delirious [with jet lag] for the whole trip \u2026 I think I had and one and a half training sessions out there\u201d \u2013 as cover for Joe Marler and 2025 also proved less than ideal. \u201cI\u2019d done all the camps leading up to England\u2019s summer tour and on the day we were supposed to fly out I tore my calf. That was absolutely gutting.\u201d<\/p>\n Again, though, he used that disappointment as extra fuel. \u201cIt put me in really good stead. I was hungry and I think that was evident from the start of the season. I really wanted to play well.\u201d Hence the heightened emotions for all concerned when, finally, he become the 1,536th man to represent England\u2019s senior side. \u201cA lot of injuries and frustration were packed behind the first cap. A lot of people don\u2019t necessarily see the work behind it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was almost a relief that I actually managed to get out there. I was just thinking about my mum, my dad, my two sisters and all my friends who have come to games endlessly and watched us win the Prem. It was a bit tricky logistically for my family to come out [to Argentina] so they all packed down at Basildon RFC to watch the game. I\u2019ve got loads of pictures of them celebrating when I came on. Just watching that after the game made it all worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n The moral of the story? Hang in there long enough as a young prop and all those hard yards will be rewarded eventually.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some people are destined from day one to play international rugby for England. 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