Immanuel Fahey-Waboso has five tries so far this Premier League season. Photo: Shutterstock/Simon King
History tells us that the brightest moments matter. don't always translate into Test caps when it comes to wingers. International coaches usually want more than explosive sidesteps, acrobatic offloads and superb individual tries in domestic matches. Less attractive attributes such as defensive positioning, stability in the air and work rate on the field tend to be more convincing.
The most interesting thing about Immanuel Fahey-Waboso's emergence at Exeter this season, and certainly the main reason Steve Borthwick floated him as a potential England debutant last week, is that he combines crowd-pleasing contribution to the finer aspects of playing with a back three. It is clear that the 21-year-old from Cardiff, who came to Devon via Wasps and is studying for a medical degree, has huge potential.
Two rather underrated moments, both of which happened coincidentally against Northampton Saints, epitomize the determination and competitive edge that has impressed Borthwick and the rest of the England squad. Here at Franklin Gardens in November, Fahey-Waboso starts at ruck while Alex Mitchell feeds Courtney Lawes. The other two members of Exeter's back three are also highlighted here: defender Tommy Wyatt and right wing Ben Hammersley:
The Chiefs have clearly asked their wings to rise and this season they are replicating the Springboks' blitz game that Felix Jones helped perfect before joining England. Keep this in mind. On this occasion, Northampton moved the ball to the far touchline and beat Exeter. However, Fahey-Waboso bypasses Hammersley and Wyatt to take down Tom Seabrook:
A little later, Saints score on the opposite flank thanks to Tommy Freeman and a goal from Fin Smith, but Fahey-Waboso's efforts keep them at bay.
Industry growth led to trade turnover this weekend. The Chiefs spread the ball around their own half before Wyatt fired home. Fahey-Waboso chases…
… and ends up attacking Ollie Sleightholme, giving the ball back to his team:
Such a game without a ball reflects well on the character and intuition of the player. Often this is something that the wing develops over time. The fact that Fahey-Waboso is already doing this is very promising, especially considering his other qualities.
X-factor on the ball and hunting shots
Exeter's success this season was foreshadowed by winning last year's Premier League Cup. Fahey-Waboso showed off his speed and deceptive power in a game against Gloucester that left three defenders oblivious…
… and another powerful finale in the semi-final defeat of Sale Sharks:
In this season's Premier League Cup, which initially served as a warm-up for the World Cup, Fahey-Waboso burst through a line of Jersey defenders and sprawled into the corner:
Five tries in the league in 2023–24. included opportunistic attempts such as Henry Slade's interception attempt against Sale and this long-range screamer at Kingston Park:
Harvey Skinner's sideline touchdown pass on Saturday showed keen finishing instincts:
On top of all this, Fahey-Waboso has been an active supporter of the players. As Jack Nowell did for Exeter, he found himself on the brink of collapse. His dynamism allows him to pass the ball quickly in heavy traffic.
In late December, Fahey-Waboso defeated Stephen Luatua — no easy feat — ahead of Jacques Vermeulen's decisive try:
On Saturday, in the second minute, he broke away from his flank and found himself among the Exeter attackers, about to score meters:
Mark Telea's phenomenal performance in the World Cup final, as well as his performances over the last couple of years for New Zealand and in Super Rugby with the Blues, highlighted the benefit of a slippery, quick wing who catches the ball in odd places.
Again , sometimes players need to be encouraged to adopt such habits. Fahey-Waboso appears to have a healthy appetite for the ball, finding a balance between width and clearance.
Setting the tone defensively?
Felix Jones, who oversees England's defence, is betting that the system will be aggressive and that the wings will have to press upfield and put pressure on their opponents. This is the second All Blacks squad in a World Cup final. Note the starting position of Kurt-Lee Arendse. He's narrow…
…and keeps coming, rushing forward to help push out the New Zealand back line:
Arendse ends up kicking the loose ball much closer to the far touchline than his own:
Fahey-Waboso appears well suited to the task and appears to relish a confrontational role on defense. He has made six turnovers and made a dominant 11 tackles in the Premier League since October, according to Stats Perform. The next clip begins with him lying on the floor and slipping while trying to cut down Virimi Vakatawa:
But, after being covered by Greg Fisilau, Fahey-Waboso scrambles back onto the line, sets himself up and leads Exeter in line rate. He watches the ball and identifies the target of Harry Randall's pass, rushing from throw-in to the ball and knocking down Dan Thomas:
Managers are trying to prevent an accident from occurring.
In recent years, under Jacques Nienaber and Jones, South Africa have encouraged their wings to blitz and destroy, trusting that teammates will cover these players if the opposition manages to move the ball wider — just as Fahey-Waboso does in the first video of this article.
Sometimes this system can be used. Over the weekend, after Northampton kicked the ball out of their own 22, Fahey-Waboso began to narrow…
…and pressed, but George Furbank passed the ball, resulting in a try:
Such failures are inevitable. It is important that Fahey-Waboso maintain the courage of his convictions if the defense system requires him to trust himself. Obviously, in some cases it may make more sense to drift rather than bite. Experience helps wings make better decisions. But England's new system is likely to value aggression on the edges of the defensive line.
Sliding door stories abound in Test Rugby Union and Fahey-Waboso, also effective in the air when chasing kicks, has broken through at the right moment. Jonny May retired from England, while Kadan Murley and Anthony Watson were injured, as was Ollie Hassell-Collins. Additionally, Jones may well view Fahey-Waboso as a striker of sorts to complement the defensive strategy he wants to implement.
Bortwick has the opportunity to shake up his team with a fresh face in the back three and appears to be succeeding. moved quickly to secure the services of Fahey-Waboso, once a member of the Wales under-18 squad. Of course, Fahey-Waboso will remain eligible to play for Warren Gatland's side until he plays for England. However, judging by the results of the current Premier League season, Borthwick's activity makes a lot of sense.
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