Zander Fagerson opens up on his love for Edinburgh rivals and why he no longer hates Pierre Schoeman

“We used to hate each other but now we’re good pals,” reveals Scotland prop

Scotland teammates Zander Fagerson and Pierre Schoeman will be rivals on Friday when Glasgow host Edinburgh in the 1872 Cup. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Zander Fagerson and Pierre Schoeman did not always see eye to eye. Far from it, in fact.

But, as the Warriors tighthead prop prepares for a probable meeting with the Edinburgh loosehead in Friday night’s 1872 Cup clash, he has revealed that they are now such good friends that he regards his Scotland colleague as a member of his family.

“We used to hate each other quite a lot,” Fagerson admits. “It was just probably that Edinburgh-Glasgow rivalry.

“I didn’t really know the guy – how he is on the pitch isn’t how he is off the pitch. He’s still probably a bit full-on sometimes when you’re training with him on the pitch. But he’s not a bad bloke.

“Then of course we became team-mates and we’re good pals. He’s usually my roomy in camp as well. We have a laugh – but after the World Cup he said ‘I can’t speak to you till the New Year’.

“He’s good fun. He’s like a third child for me – he’s very immature! But we have a laugh, a good giggle, and my kids absolutely love him – Uncle Pierre.”

When it comes to the Edinburgh team as a whole, Fagerson adopts a similar attitude. Some of his Warriors team-mates may like to indulge in a spot of animosity towards their capital rivals, but he believes that, especially with the Scotland training camp for the Six Nations Championship now just a matter of weeks away, it is better to treat them as what they are – friends and colleagues.

“Some boys hate them – I really like them,” he explains. “It’s good fun.

“After this Christmas and New Year period, we’ll hopefully see each other in camp, and we’re all good mates. I hang out with a lot of them in camp.

“Yeah, [there will be] a few little digs here, a few little digs there at the bottom of rucks and stuff, but it’s good fun. I really enjoy these games.

“It doesn’t matter who Edinburgh put out this weekend, they’ve got a good pack. So it’s going to be a good challenge for us and it will be good to see where we’re at.

“I think we’re going to take them head on. They know what’s coming. We pride ourselves as forwards on our game, on our pack, so it’s going to be a good challenge.

“In these derby games form doesn’t really come into it. It’s whoever is best on the day. Sometimes one team doesn’t rock up as well as they should when they’ve maybe been doing stuff really well all season.

“Sometimes either team can maybe get ahead of themselves and the occasion. I think for us it’s about making sure it’s a normal week, it’s another game of rugby, no matter who we’re playing.

“So yeah, for me this week nothing changes. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. I’m just trying to put the best version of myself out on the pitch and make sure I’m in the best mindset and the best physical condition for that game.”