Courtney Lawes was likened to a “human ice-pack” after his tireless shift against Wales but he is just pleased to be in from the cold. The 27-year-old was integral to England’s rearguard action in Cardiff and, after finding himself behind Maro Itoje and George Kruis in the pecking order last summer in Australia, he has established himself as one of Eddie Jones’s key lieutenants in the boiler room.
Lawes has had a litany of injuries in the past few years, including shoulder and ankle problems, and he admits that when Jones took charge of England at the end of 2015 his form was not international standard. Dovetailing with Itoje in Cardiff, though – the pair swapped between lock and flanker – he was singled out for praise by Jones, and Lawes believes the penny has finally dropped.
“It was Eddie who pointed it out,” Lawes said. “I used to carry a lot more when I was younger, then I kind of went away from it. I had a choice: carry on doing what I was doing and probably not play for England again, or develop my game, again – back to what it was. It was very good for me.
“I needed to push myself more and that’s what he made me do, so it’s been much better for my game. I was on the bench in the Australia tour and I’m not happy with that. I don’t want to not be playing. I’m playing the best since Saints won the title against Sarries [in 2014]. I don’t think I’m done here yet either.”
On Tuesday that competitive streak found its way to the bowling alley for a team-bonding exercise before training. Owen Farrell was the star performer while Itoje and Jack Nowell were bottom of the class. “[Maro] was awful. He was embarrassingly bad – he needed rails,” the England defence coach, Paul Gustard, said. “Jack Nowell needed a rail once but Maro was awful – he couldn’t get it down the lane.”
Gustard also explained that sending Dylan Hartley and James Haskell back to their clubs during this fallow week for extra game time never entered the equation. “They’re with us,” he said. “For Dylan, I thought his performance was improved over the weekend. He’s the captain of our team and it’s important that he stays with us and trains with us.”
