The 21-year-old came to rugby via an unusual route, but it is one that may soon see him in the England squad

To announce Afo Fasogbon as English rugby’s next big thing is not entirely accurate. He may be big – 6ft 4in tall and about 130kg (20st 6lb) – but as far as the internet is concerned he arrived some time ago. Video footage of the young Gloucester prop waving off the more experienced Ellis Genge after edging a scrummaging duel at Kingsholm last year went viral almost before Genge had reached the touchline.

Should the 21-year-old make a strong impact off the bench against Munster in Cork on Saturday evening, however, he could soon be vying for even greater recognition. England are suddenly lighter in the tighthead department after Will Stuart’s unfortunate achilles injury, with Asher Opoku-Fordjour also out of action. If Leicester’s Joe Heyes so much as breaks a fingernail, alarm bells will start ringing at Twickenham.

• Ealing and Doncaster Knights have applied

• Formal removal of relegation still to be ratified

Arguments behind the scenes about the proposed transformation of the top tier of English club rugby into a franchise-based league are intensi­fying with just two Champ clubs seemingly now eligible for promotion this season. Only Ealing Trailfinders and ­Doncaster Knights have applied formally to be promoted to the Prem, with Worcester Warriors understood to have missed the deadline.

A Rugby Football Union spokesperson suggested on Tuesday that the absence of Worcester’s name reflects the reality that the club is still “getting back on its feet” after its financial collapse in September 2022 with debts of more than £25m. But with Ealing unable to satisfy the Prem minimum ­standards for the past two seasons, and with ­Doncaster off the pace in 10th place, it raises fresh questions about the ­­raison d’être of the ­scheduled new end‑of‑season Champ playoffs, unveiled this year amid much fanfare.