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Surgeon's latest advice for 'a freak of nature, Ollie Lawrence'
Worcester have confirmed that the season is over for Ollie Lawrence but he won’t be undertaking surgery to solve the calf injury that has plagued him throughout the 2021/22 campaign. Despite missing the September England training camp after being described as “unwell” by an RFU statement, the midfielder started off promisingly at his club, playing in all seven of their opening Gallagher Premiership fixtures.
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However, a calf injury at the end of October sidelined him for a month and he then played again five weeks later off the bench versus Wasps. That, though, was his last appearance until he came on as a heavily strapped 55th-minute replacement in the recent Premiership Rugby Cup final at London Irish.
That 25-minute cameo became 45 minutes as the final went to extra time before Worcester lifted the cup on the most tries scored rule, but its knock-on effect will see the limping Lawrence miss the Warriors’ final league game of the season this Saturday at home to Bath.
One appearance in nearly six months – and a season’s total of just 629 minutes of action – sounds worrying for the 22-year-old last capped by England in the 2021 Summer Series, but Worcester boss Steve Diamond is confident that they have the problem correctly diagnosed and that Lawrence will be ready for the new season in September.
“What we have done is we have sent him to arguably the best surgeon in the world for these problems and the surgeon, in layman’s terms, has said we can rehab this properly, as in ‘get him back to where he is’.
“He is a freak of nature, Ollie Lawrence, the way he is built, and guys similar to him like Manu (Tuilagi) up in Sale have similar problems. There is so much power being generated that certain parts of the body can’t cope with it and I’m a layman and not a medic. The surgeon has said that it doesn’t need surgery, it needs another way of rehab which our medics are on to and we are looking forward to him having a good pre-season and being ready for September.”
Diamond was delighted with Worcester winning a rare trophy. “Worcester have had a lot of tough seasons if I am honest and we have got a tough game to go at the weekend but there are not many things you can win in rugby and we managed to do it, so I’m really chuffed for the club.”
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Following Saturday’s game versus fellow Premiership strugglers Bath, current lead rugby consultant Diamond – who arrived at Sixways in late November – will take over as director of rugby from Alan Solomons. The pair will stay in touch.
“I have known Alan a long time, he is a great guy and he introduced me to Worcester. I will keep in contact with him moving forwards. I have done so for the last 20 years. I hope he puts his feet up in Northern Ireland and relaxes but I can’t see that happening. He is a peculiar one who can’t keep still. I enjoyed myself with him, a good guy, knowledgable and always there as a support mechanism not only for me but other members of staff and players.”
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments