Thomas du Toit has been tracking England's emerging tighthead crop closely, and his assessment carries weight given how central he's become to the Bok scrum. Speaking on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast, he singled out Fasogbon and Sela as players destined for big careers, but pushed back on criticism of Borthwick for not capping them yet. His argument is structural: tightheads don't explode onto the Test scene — they develop slowly, and throwing them into a losing situation off the bench risks permanently skewing perception of their ability. His preference is to start them, accept early turbulence, and pull them before damage is done. On the current pecking order, Du Toit is unequivocal that Stuart — his Bath teammate — remains England's best tighthead and could hold that title for another four or five years, with Heyes's development notwithstanding.
Du Toit backs England's young tightheads — but says patience is non-negotiable
Du Toit rates Fasogbon and Sela as future Test props but defends Borthwick's patience, explaining why tightheads need careful handling early in their careers — and still backs Stuart as England's best for years to come.
Boks remain top but All Blacks close gap to 2.90 points after Nations Championship opener
South Africa stay top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings at 93.94 points but New Zealand have cut the gap to 2.90 after beating France, while Scotland climb to equal their all-time high of fifth following a record 47-38 win over Argentina in Córdoba.
SENSATIONAL Springboks 💥 | South Africa v England | Nations Championship 2026 | Highlights
Watch all the highlights as South Africa took on England at Ellis Park on day one of Nations Championship.
SENSATIONAL Springboks 💥 | South Africa vs. England | Nations Championship 2026 | Highlights
Watch all the highlights as South Africa took on England at Ellis Park on day one of Nations Championship.
Erasmus: 'We don't see the Nations Championship as a competition'
Erasmus says the Boks won't adjust their approach to chase Nations Championship log points — each Test is treated as a standalone match, with squad rotation across the window as the priority over competition standings.
Smith vows England will 'leave it all out there' against Springboks
Marcus Smith says England's 36-man squad, arriving in Johannesburg on Thursday, are targeting a historic win over the Springboks in the Nations Championship opener, having trained in oxygen masks to prepare for the Highveld.