I can be the new Harlequins enforcer, says Charlie Matthews

Charlie Matthews played a crucial part in Harlequins‘ run to the Premiership play-offs last season and now the old guard has moved on he is looking to make the No.4 jersey his own.
Quins endured a dreadful run of injuries at the start of last season, including one to Matthews, forcing director of rugby Conor O’Shea to play No.8 Nick Easter in the engine room to add bulk to his tight five.
Two months in to the season, Matthews made his return, keen to catch up on lost time. Slowly but surely, the 6ft 7in giant grew in stature, playing 24 games and establishing himself as the enforcer alongside lineout guru George Robson.
Now with Nick Kennedy retired and Maurie Fa’asavalu gone, a second row and enforcer roles are up for grabs and Matthews, 23, intends to take up both.
“The end of last season was pretty exhausting but I really enjoyed it,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“I was out injured for two months at the start but played pretty much every game after that so it was great for me. I hope I can enjoy more of the same this year.
“Enforcer is a word often thrown around but it changed from the old days. My role is to smash the rucks, tackles, dominate the maul and carry strongly.
“These are the four things that make you an enforcer these days and I really enjoy that role. That’s why I play the game.
“I went all the way up to 127kg (20st) last season but I’ve dropped to 117kg (18st 6lb) which I’m pretty comfortable at. I had to put on weight but with the game we like to play at Quins I had to make sure I remained fit and mobile.
“With Nick and Maurie gone, I’m going to have to step it up if I want to become Conor’s first-choice enforcer and partner George in the second row.”
Struggling all season with injuries, Harlequins were set to miss out on the Premiership semi-finals for the first time in three years.
Before their trip to Sale on April 11, they were sixth in the table six points adrift of Bath in fourth.
A defeat at the AJ Bell stadium would have ended any hopes of qualification but a 27-12 win over the Sharks kept them alive.
They went on to beat Leicester, Exeter, and Bath in the closing three rounds before going down to Saracens in the semi-finals. It was not the end of the season they would have wanted but Matthews is adamant it gave them a lot of confidence for the upcoming season.
He said: “We want to build on last year. It was tough to lose in the semi-finals but making it in the first place with the amount of injuries we had gives us a great deal of confidence going into this season.
“Everyone is back fit and refreshed after the summer break and we’re pretty excited to get going.”
NICK VERDIER