England star ‘almost a new recruit’ as PREM side set to welcome back ‘keen as mustard’ forward
Fin Baxter (right) looks set to make his return to the pitch in the near future.
England and Harlequins prop Fin Baxter looks set to make his long-awaited return to the field in the near future, following a frustrating year on the injury front.
The 24-year-old loosehead has been out of action since December, when he was withdrawn for Quins’ Big Game meeting with Bristol Bears as a precaution, due to a string of foot issues which required two operations. As a result, he missed the entirety of England’s Six Nations and Nations Championship campaigns, as well as the bulk of Quins’ PREM season.
Prior to his injury, Baxter was becoming a regular feature in Steve Borthwick’s England squad, featuring in 16 consecutive Tests, and still remains on an enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contract.
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However, it seems his near 10-month-long stint on the sidelines is coming to an end, with Harlequins boss Jason Gilmore confirming he is set to feature in their pre-season meeting against Edinburgh on Friday, September 18.
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“Fin will be right,” said the Australian coach. “He’s back in full training, feeling good and looking good.
“It was difficult. The England staff came in as well with our staff as they wanted him back for the England tour. He had screws and plates put in his foot, which was aggravating the joints and was just clunky in his foot.
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“He’s had those taken out, and since they’ve done that, he’s come on really quickly.
Baxter’s injury layoff was the first extended break in his career to date, after becoming a regular feature for Quins since his debut in 2020 alongside his England commitments since his Test bow in 2024, and Gilmore feels he’s now ‘keen as mustard’ to get back into the mix.
“It could potentially be good for him in terms of having a break,” he added. “He’s played a lot of rugby and he’s a young man. He’s keen as mustard to get back into it.”
“Fin, he’s almost a new recruit for us this year because he missed most of last year.”