The 22-year-old Harlequins prop, built like a tank at 6’0” and pushing 18 stone, is fast becoming England's next front-row powerhouse. With Steve Borthwick's England preparing for their toughest Autumn Nations Series lineup in recent memory - New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Japan - hopes are high among front-row aficionados that Baxter will spearhead their efforts.
Born in London's Waltham Forest and raised in Surrey, Baxter made waves through the English rugby system from an early age. A standout at Wellington College, he didn’t take long to find his place in the professional ranks, signing with Harlequins at 18. Despite his youth, Baxter has shown maturity well beyond his years. His performances in the Premiership - including a try-scoring, Player of the Match performance against Saracens this season - have made even seasoned rugby heads sit up and take notice.
A steady rise through the ranks
If 'baby-faced' is a term used often to describe Baxter, you can bet it's not what his opponents think as he dominates key scrums like he did in the fiery derby against Saracens on Sunday. That clash, a heated rivalry with no love lost between the two teams, was where Baxter’s toughness truly emerged - and helped his team end a five-match losing run against Saracens. It wasn’t just his physicality, but his adaptability: his ability to soak up pressure in the scrum and then pop up in open play, showing off nimble footwork for a man his size.
It's the sort of adaptability earned him a spot on the England squad in 2024. Although his Test debut against the All Blacks saw England come out second best, Baxter’s performance in the front row was a silver lining in a challenging match.
The new era of England scrummaging
The England front row has been crying out for fresh blood, and along with the likes of Sale's Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Gloucester's Afolabi Fasogbon, Baxter has all the tools to be the answer. It's early days, but Baxter could be part of the next great English scrum, the kind that can lock horns with South Africa's brutal pack or match the set-piece precision of the All Blacks. In Baxter, England have found a player with the perfect blend of size, power, and versatility to fit their evolving forward strategy.
While Baxter's bread-and-butter is scrummaging, he brings more to the table. His mobility is one of his greatest assets, something that’s becoming more crucial as international rugby evolves. Baxter's engine has become a key aspect of Harlequins' strategy, and it won’t be long before England utilise it fully.
Mentored by legends
Under Marler’s watchful eye at Harlequins, Baxter has been shaped not just by technique, but by the mental resilience required at the top level. Marler, who has nearly 90 England caps, sees Baxter as his heir apparent.
Baxter himself has acknowledged the value of the advice from both Marler and former Quins teammate Adam Jones, a Wales and British and Irish Lions icon, now part of the coaching setup. In an interview with the Telegraph, Jones recalled a telling anecdote about Baxter during a 2023 match against Exeter: “You judge a loosehead about how they respond when the pressure comes on. A lot of looseheads if they get under pressure, they will put their heads on the other side to take pressure off their neck or they take their hips out.
“Fin didn’t do that. He planted his feet in the ground and put his head underneath the tighthead’s chest and clenched until the scrum was over. It won’t do his neck any good in the long run, but the fight he shows is phenomenal. I thought, ‘S---, we have got something here’.”
What the future holds
Heading into the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, the question of whether Baxter will be a starter may be answered if he continues to play as he did against Saracens on the weekend. However, it’s clear that Baxter is part of a long-term plan. As England look to compete with the powerhouses of the southern hemisphere in November, Baxter's development will be crucial. His potential to dominate in the scrum and offer a dynamic presence around the field could be the cornerstone of England’s front row rebuild in the post-2023 World Cup era.
It’s rare to find a prop who excels in every aspect of the game, but Baxter looks like he might just be the one. If his trajectory continues, he could well be the cornerstone of England's pack for the next decade - an anchor, much like Marler has been before him, but with the added dynamism that modern rugby demands.
All of this is without mentioning Ellis Genge, who will have a big say in the England #1 conversation, and all of which makes this an even more fascinating debate. One thing’s for sure, though: the future of England’s front row looks a lot brighter with Fin Baxter on the rise.
