Joe Heyes would relish the chance to test himself against Leicester Tigers teammate Nicky Smith if the pair lock horns when England host Wales in their Six Nations opener.
Heyes and Smith proved a potent combination as they dismantled the Harlequins scrum in a 34-7 Gallagher Prem win on Saturday, but could be on opposite sides when their nations clash at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on 7 February.
The England tighthead is close chums with his club-mate, as well as fellow Wales squad member Olly Cracknell, but has put that friendship on hold as he heads into camp with the rest of Steve Borthwick’s squad ahead of the opening round.
Like many within the English game, Heyes considers Smith to be the finest scrummaging loosehead in the Prem, and was given one of his darkest days while the 31-year-old was with the Ospreys.
Heyes was sent to the sin bin for persistent scrum offences during a Champions Cup fixture in December 2022 and therefore knows all too well the threat that Smith poses.
“We just said goodbye in the changing rooms,” Heyes said after the win over Harlequins. “That was a bit awkward. I didn’t know whether to hug or strangle him. We know where we’re going but we’ll keep it professional and try not to have any domestic conflict.
“I had a bad experience against Nicky three or four years ago and I was yellow-carded. I was like, ‘I’ve got him here’ but he would just pop his way back out of it.
“He has an unbelievable ability to go forward. Around the field as well, people don’t see it. He’ll chop everything, he’ll get over the ball. He’s a quality player. I think every prop has a bad day, and I’ve had a couple, but that was probably one of my bad days.”
Smith will swap Leicester for Sale at the end of the season, and will hope to help earn Wales their first Six Nations victory since 2023 before then.
Heyes, meanwhile, feels a figure of vital importance to Borthwick after injuries to Will Stuart and Asher Opoku-Fordjour, the two other tightheads in England’s squad in November.
While the experienced Trevor Davison and young gun Vilikesa Sela offer strong options, Heyes looks set to retain a starting place seized during a breakthrough 2025.
“I’m really excited to get stuck back in,” he said. “Before it probably wasn’t as exciting as because I never thought I’d be involved and it felt like a bit of a rinse and repeat cycle.
“It’s not only the fact I’m playing now but it’s also the group we’ve got.
“If you look around at all positions in England at the moment, the strength and depth is actually incredible, isn’t it? Maybe like 10 years ago, you would never have had that.”
