Tom Spring

Born on 26 September 2002, Tom Spring is a Frenchman carving out a place among the loose forwards at Aviron Bayonnais, the Basque club of the Top 14. He belongs to the younger tier of the Bayonne squad, at the stage where physical development and match understanding matter as much as raw ability. Spring's game is built on volume: an appetite for defensive collisions, carries taken up in the tight channels, and a willingness to keep working long after the ball has moved on. Back-row forwards of his type earn selection through the accumulation of small contributions — a clearout that secures possession, a tackle that halts momentum, an extra ruck arrival in the closing minutes. The Top 14 sets a demanding physical benchmark for its packs, and the transition from promising academy forward to trusted senior option is rarely quick. For Spring, progress is measured in consistency rather than headline moments: reproducing the same standard week after week, and proving reliable enough that coaches turn to him without hesitation. Bayonne's identity has long been shaped by forward confrontation and a fiercely loyal support base, an environment that suits an industrious loose forward finding his feet. Spring adds depth to a competitive back-row group, and his prospects rest on the minutes he earns and how convincingly he uses them.