Young Gun: Jamal Ford-Robinson – Cornish Pirates prop

Taking opportunities can make or break a young player’s career so Jamal Ford-Robinson was keen to show what he could do when he turned up at Twickenham with Cornwall for the Bill Beaumont Cup final on June 1.
Starting on the bench, the powerful loosehead came on midway through the first half and on his first touch 15 metres out he beat two defenders to bulldoze his way over for one of HQ’s tries of the year.
It capped a sensational season for the 5ft 10in, 18st 1lb (115kg) 20-year-old who was at No.1 in The Rugby Paper’s National League Two Dream Team on the back of his performances with Cambridge, while also representing England Counties during the Six Nations and in Georgia.
With the ambition to play in the Championship, offers were soon on the table but he will now return ‘home’ to Cornish Pirates on a two-year deal.
“For most players it’s about taking your opportunity and I was keen to take it with both hands with Cornwall in the County Championship. With the game live on Sky Sports that was my opportunity to show that I was still here,” he said.
“I was in the Leicester academy for two years but was released. I went to the Pirates for a trial but they had no room. They wanted me to go away and get some game time in men’s rugby and that’s when I joined Cambridge.
“I was 19 when I joined in March 2013. I managed to get three starts that season and I kicked on from there only missing two games this campaign. I only went there to get some experience so I never expected to be involved that much.
“It was hard to let go of my time at Leicester and I did wonder whether I should pursue a rugby career but I never had a Plan B. It was always about playing rugby for me.”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day and there are always downs before you go back up. Playing for Cornwall at the end of this year opened up a few opportunities but, being from Penryn, I always had the Pirates in mind.”
Admiring such as Tendai Mtawarira and Cian Healy, Ford-Robinson is a very mobile ball-carrying prop who can play across the front row.
But scrummaging has to be his bread and butter and, while he developed at Cambridge, he knows the Championship will be a big step up when it comes to the dark arts.
“I’ve always played both side of the scrum but Leicester thought I’d get more game time if I switched to hooker which I did in my second year at the Tigers,” he added.
“I went to Cambridge as a hooker but the opportunity came to start at loose-head when Tom Fidler got injured and I haven’t looked back.
“I really pride myself on my mobility but my scrummaging has come a long way playing for Cambridge where I was put to the sword a few times.
“I remember facing Wayne Thompson and Chris Fortey away at Hartpury. As you can imagine, it didn’t go my way and I even conceded a penalty try. But, after working with Boris Stankovic (former Leicester prop), I managed to get my own back in the return fixture.
“I’ll probably have to take the first couple of Championship games on the chin and go back to the training paddock to comeback stronger the second time around like I did against Hartpury.”
*This article was first published in The Rugby Paper on June 29.