20 hours Ago By [email protected] (Samuel Meade)
England's head coach Steve Borthwick was in need of an extra body for training a fortnight ago and turned to U20s star Junior Kpoku - who was keen to rinse everything out of the opportunity. The teenager is starting European games for French side Racing 92 such has been his meteoric rise. That has put a number of key figures on alert and Kpoku's size and stature has him ready made for Test rugby.
That size and power didn't serve him well in the opening game of the U20 Six Nations as the forward was sent off against Ireland. Despite his age Kpoku was quick to shoulder the responsibility. "I owned up to it," he told Mirror Sport , now he's ready to "adapt and learn from that.
" A red card isn't the ideal audition to get a promotion into England's senior squad, even if only for a short period, and Kpoku admits it "was a bit of a weird one, but I took it with both hands. It was a good opportunity to put my foot down and show the coaches and Steve what I'm about" Whilst in camp the 19-year-old was determined to pick the brains of those who would help England down France at Twickenham. Maro Itoje was a great sounding board and Fin Smith, who kicked the winning points a fortnight ago, told him it was all about "having a cool head.
" Kpoku is not short of role models and, despite the hype around him, his humility means he's trying to take every little bit he can from those who've made it. He stands at 6ft 8in tall but learned from World Cup winner and former Racing team-mate Siya Kolisi about how to further his tackle technique, his communication as well as his movement around the pitch. Ben Earl donned the England No 8 shirt for well over a year and Kpoku sees elements of his game that could take him to the next level.
He said: "I want to have a bit of Ben Earl's type of play in my game, those steps before contact and being explosive into it." Playing week in, week out and Racing means he's rubbing shoulders with Cameron Woki. The Racing loose forward has a Grand Slam on his CV and has shown phenomenal athleticism to play anywhere from second row to flanker to number 8.
In an effort to mark himself out from the rest Kpoku has studied his team-mate, already plotting what could get him into a future England team ahead of another of the country's stellar loose forwards. "I learn off Cameron Woki," he said. "One of the best jumpers and lineout defenders in the Top 14 - that's what I want to be.
If I was going to come back to the England, that's what I'd want to give back to England as a point of difference." Kpoku moved to Exeter Chiefs in the summer of 2023, but just months later headed to Paris. A major motivation being a desire to be closer to his unwell father.
But being in France has also meant he could be closer to his twin elder brothers. Joel and Jonathan play in France, for Pau and second-tier Albi respectively. On March 1 Racing will play against Pau in the Top 14 it what will be a true family affair, a proud moment for the family.
Kpoku joked that as a kid he was the lineout jumper for his two brothers and now they'll square off. "My whole family are coming up, literally everyone cousins and everything, so they'll see who wins the battle," he said. That clash will come after England's Six Nations assignment against Scotland in Newcastle on Friday.
Kpoku will then come back into camp before the two final games of the tournament against Italy and then Wales. Last year's success has been parked and a group, which features a host of new individuals, wants to write their own story. Kpoku said: "It's a new group, last year was last year's results so we just want to build onto it.
Me personally, I put pressure on myself to go on and perform." "I just do what I do on the daily, just be me, try help the new people and give them the knowledge the older boys gave me." On a personal level, it is Kpoku's father who served as motivation.
"Mostly my dad drives that, I play rugby for my dad, he's my go to," he said..
