At the start of the 2016 Six Nations, Eddie Jones took charge of his first England match, against Scotland, handing out just one Test debut to a promising young openside flanker. Seven years on and for Jack Clifford read Tom Pearson – given the latter’s current form for London Irish, you would not bet against Steve Borthwick following Jones’s suit when England welcome Scotland to Twickenham next month.
Pearson is in his second season with London Irish, having emerged through the Cardiff Met university pathway that is becoming increasingly familiar given Alex Dombrandt and Luke Northmore are among his fellow alumni. By his own admission he was not ready for professional rugby aged 18 and was cut from the Gloucester academy but after three years of graft in Cardiff and a few away trips in the Welsh Championship that will live long in his memory, Pearson is pulling up trees for London Irish.
The 23-year-old features prominently in all the relevant stats that you would expect from an openside flanker – he is second for Premiership tackles this season and sixth for turnovers – but more than that Pearson has an intelligence of when to compete for the ball and an ability to be in the right place at the right time that most excites.
“He’s smart in and around the breakdown,” says the London Irish director of rugby, Declan Kidney. “He doesn’t give away too many penalties, but [makes] a fair few poaches. That’s good, intelligent play against someone who can overcommit or not commit at all.”
Pearson has a diligence too that Borthwick will appreciate and a determination to keep improving. He has been involved in a handful of England camps since his first in last year’s Six Nations but insists on leaving his training kit at the national base until he wins a first cap – demonstrating both a bashfulness and an ambition to represent his country in the future.
In London Irish’s past two home matches he has produced a stunning display against Saracens and was equally formidable in defence against Bristol on Sunday. He plays in a position where England do not want for talent.
Even if Tom Curry’s hamstring injury depletes the ranks, Borthwick can call on Jack Willis, Ben Earl, Lewis Ludlam and Sam Simmonds but Pearson was among those players called into camp by Borthwick last week and, like Clifford back in 2016, he is the coming man at the start of a new England era.
“It’s great to be in there but I leave all my kit at Pennyhill Park, I see it as very separate. I always leave it because I feel that I’m not capped yet,” he says. ”I’d say there’s always an element that whenever a new coach comes in, whatever level that is – international or with your club [you want to impress]. I’ve just got to go around and continue improving myself. Keep being competitive and keep getting myself on the pitch. That’s the only thing I can focus on at the moment.”
Throughout his university years Pearson took a patient approach to bulking up rather than putting on too much weight too quickly and he is now reaping the rewards. In many ways he is the product of what happens when there is so much depth in one position across the country – aware that he has to raise the bar even further to force his way into the reckoning.
“I’ve probably still got some developing to do in terms of speed and agility. I wouldn’t want to compromise that by putting on more. It’s important to have a little bit of size to have an impact in the tackle and the carry.
“I know I’m one of the heaviest 7s in the league, but it’s a good combination if I can keep that work rate where it is to stay at that weight. It has got to be good as a back-row forward, it’s so competitive, it’s really expected of you now at Premiership and international level to get through a lot of actions and quality actions at that. It’s something I’ve got to pride myself on.”
