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The England player singled out by Lawes as a 'brilliant example'
Courtney Lawes has arguably given the most insightful interview of any England player or coach at France 2023. The back-rower, who skippered the team to their Pool D wins over Argentina and Japan, gave his verdict on what is making this particular squad under Steve Borthwick tick, qualifying for the quarter-finals as pool winners with a match to spare.
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England next play Samoa in their group finale this coming Saturday in Lille before heading south to Marseille for their October 15 quarter-final versus the Pool C runners-up, who are set to be Fiji provided they secure a point in their game next Sunday against Portugal to push them ahead of Australia and into second place behind Wales.
Now a veteran of four World Cups, the 34-year-old Lawes has explained the selfless approach players now have playing for England and he singled out one forward for special mention. “It’s so different apart from Steve,” he said about the current campaign where head coach Borthwick is a lone link with four years ago when the final was reached in Japan.
“2011, 2015 and 2019, the coaching team and actually the main team is so different so it’s quite hard to compare and contrast and know what you do differently because the team was so different. Especially 2019 and this time in terms of a team of players, we are so much more selfless.
“We want to play, we want to go out there and put our bodies on the line for each other and then that is what I think makes the difference: when it hits the fan and you know you are under the cosh, you have got to want to get into it with each other and if you don’t you get found out pretty quickly. That is one of the biggest things to take away and it is something we have got again this time.”
Lawes suggested this trait has existed for a while now. “You definitely started talking about things like that around 2017, 2018 and then we have kind of built on from there.
“We understand and we have had a very similar leadership group now for a long time, so it makes it quite a smooth transition when new players come in and we have got a similar leadership team and we know what works and we want everyone to buy in.
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“It’s ‘we do this for each other, not for ourselves’. We hit a ruck and forego the glory so that we get the ball so that someone else can score, that kind of stuff. And obviously putting your body on the line in defence.
“They are the things we pride ourselves on as a team and it’s what we want to carry on into the future as well. Our way is the England way, doing it our way is doing it for each other.”
Asked to nominate a player as an example for repeated selfless acts for the greater good of this England team, Lawes chose tighthead Dan Cole whose sole appearance so far at the finals came in the September 9 opener where the Pumas were demolished despite the third-minute red card for Tom Curry.
“You can probably watch Dan the entire game just banging rucks, getting us quick ball, to be honest. That is an example of someone who is so selfless.
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“He is not worried about any kind of glory. He is doing his job, he wants to be on the pitch, wants to scrum well, he wants to maul well and he wants to make sure our breakdown is as quick as it possibly can be and then in defence, he is going to bang people.
“He is a brilliant example of somebody who is just going to do his part in the cog; he is going to be that one cog in the chain that leads to a try or a good win over Argentina and we have got plenty of players like that.”
Scrum coach Tom Harrison attested to the dedication of Cole in doing the unseen work. “His target is to hit more (breakdowns) than he has the week before. He knows what his role in the team is and that goes for every player, understanding where can you add value to the team, what is your role.
“A try gets scored, brilliant. It might be your name on the scoresheet but it’s the same amount of points whoever scores it. He understands what his role is.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
1 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
4 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
4 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to comments