Stephen Jones takes a look at England's latest forward hope, Northampton powerhouse Courtney Lawes, in The Sunday Times.
"Earlier this season, Northampton beat Munster in a volcanic Heineken Cup match at Franklin’s Gardens. Courtney Lawes, the giant 20-year-old Northampton forward, played a staggering game. Some time after the final whistle, one of the Northampton backroom staff tapped me on the shoulder.
“Don’t build Courtney up too much,” he asked. “We’re trying to keep him under wraps a bit.” I pointed out that the giant Lawes, 6ft 8in and 17.5st, had just won the man of the match award in front of a live television audience, making his usual power bursts and hits and elastic lineout takes. And since he had left the field to an uproarious standing ovation from a packed stadium, and that during the post-match interviews, none other than Munster’s Paul O’Connell, the Lions captain, had delivered a glowing tribute to the athletic excellence and competitive fire of the tyro, the news was already out.
"Last week, Lawes was named in the England squad for the 2010 Six Nations. He has one cap, as a replacement against Argentina. Today, he plays on the blindside flank — the other key string to his bow — for Northampton against Perpignan, a vital Heineken Cup pool game. He will not be representing the exotic contingent in the club's squad, but rather, the local Northampton Old Scouts club and this most fervent of rugby towns itself. He is a local hero."
RSS feed
