From a hat-trick on his debut to long spells on the sidelines

Who is Alfie Barbeary: Ten things you should know about the Wasps forward

Alfie Barbeary has caught the eye of the England selectors with his powerful runs and ability to break tackles. Here are a few facts about the back-rower…

Ten things you should know about Alfie Barbeary

1. Alfie Barbeary was born on 5 October 2000 in Banbury, England. He weighs 18st 4lb (116kg) and stands at 6ft 1in (1.85m).

2. He plays for Wasps in the Gallagher Premiership but he had a loan spell at Nottingham in 2019.

3. Barbeary has captained England U18, played for England U20 and received a call-up to the senior side for the 2022 Six Nations.

He was also named in the squad for the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup final against France but didn’t win his first cap.

4. On his Premiership debut for Wasps in 2020, he scored a hat-trick against Leicester Tigers.

5. He started out playing in the centre or back row, but moved to hooker in his mid-teens when he joined Wasps’ academy. Yet at senior level he has most excelled as a back-rower and opted to focus on that position at the start of the 2021-22 season.

6. Barbeary had something of an injury nightmare in 2021, being kept on the sidelines for much of the year.

He told Coventry Live: “I kept picking up niggles. It was a bit of a dark place, but when you’ve got a good support group it’s a lot easier than being on your own. I fought through it and once you’re back playing it’s a lot easier to stay positive and hopeful and get through it.”

7. England head coach Eddie Jones spoke highly of him after his 2022 Six Nations call-up. He said: “Alfie hasn’t been picked on his last game, he’s been picked on the back of what we’ve seen over the last two seasons.

“He’s got an extraordinary ability to break tackles and carry the ball forward in close contact.”

8. He drives a Mercedes A-Class.

9. He looked up to Ma’a Nonu and Mathieu Bastareaud as a child, when he was playing centre.

10. Barbeary enjoys having a pint and a curry with his dad.

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