It has been quite some season already for Matt Fagerson, and now the up-and-coming back-row has been involved in the first full-contact rugby match to be played indoors in Scotland.
The 18-year-old BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy member only left Strathallan School in the summer, but he has been a regular for Glasgow Hawks in the BT Premiership and made a handful of appearances for Glasgow Warriors.
And on Sunday the younger brother of Scotland tighthead prop Zander was one of the standout players as the best young talent from the West at under-20 level took on their counterparts from the East.
The match was played at the Oriam facility in Edinburgh on the indoor pitch.
Not used to seeing matches being played with a roof on the encounter drew a good crowd as the players tried to impress the Scotland under-20 selectors ahead of the Six Nations in February.
No.8 Fagerson said: “It is the first time I have ever played in something like this and it is an outstanding facility.
“Before the match, we were getting told different rules like what happens if the ball hits the roof and things like that and that was a bit strange, but once we got going it was fine.
“Having no wind makes a big difference and the lighting was also excellent. At this time of year when it is getting dark and pitches are unplayable to be able to play a full 80 minutes indoors is great and hopefully we get to play here again.”
Glasgow Accies back-row Ryan Sweeney and Ayr back Paddy Dewhirst scored tries for the West with Glasgow Hawks’ stand-off Josh Henderson kicking a conversion, but in the end they lost out 34-12.
“The game was very physical and quick and there were a lot of high-calibre players out there,” Fagerson said of the defeat.
“I thought we were in the game for the first 50 minutes or so and really causing the East some problems, but they started doing a good job of sucking our players into the contact area and that created some space for their dangerous players out wide.
“They caused us a few problems in the scrum, but our front-row dug in well and I think what the match showed is that there is a lot of good young talent in Scotland.
As mentioned, it has been a busy few months for Fagerson and he admits that they have gone by in a bit of a blur.
“I came to Glasgow straight from school, literally 10 days after my exams,” he said.
“Being in training with the pro team at the Warriors you learn new things every day, the guys are really welcoming.
“Jonny Gray is a great role model as a captain and a team mate, letting you know how to improve. Everybody is really helpful and it is such a high level with high intensity and high physicality.
“I just want to get involved as much as I can and also focus on the under-20s.”
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