24-year-old Northampton backrow Tom Pearson is one of English Rugby’s most highly touted backrow talents.
The 2022-23 Premiership Breakthrough Player Of The Year has been compared to double World Cup winning Springbok Pieter-Steph du Toit.
A tenacious ball carrier, solid line-out operator and bone crunching defender, Pearson will look to force his way into Steve Borthwick’s thinking for the Six Nations.
Making his debut under Borthwick during the World Cup warm-ups, Pearson struggled in England’s loss to Wales. From here he missed out on Selection for the global tournament instead he returned to his new club Northampton.
At 6’3″ and 115kg, Pearson is a prototypical international backrow from a physical standpoint.
Whilst size is not everything in professional rugby, the backrow is one of those players who knows how to use his physicality to gain an advantage.
This was on full display today as the Saints edged Harlequins 36 – 33 in a highly entertain Premiership clash.
Carrying hard, Pearson charged at the Quins line.
Standing in his way was fellow England international Alex Dombrandt and his fellow backrow Will Evans.
Neither player are shrinking violets with Dombrandt weighing in at 120kg and Evans at 102kg.
Yet despite the sheer bulk of the two, Pearson barged straight through in one of those jaw dropping physical encounters that makes rugby so spectacular.
Tom Pearson is an animal 😤
Going through gaps one week and over grown men the next. A huge carry. pic.twitter.com/lqKqqAct3K
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) November 25, 2023
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