The England star Courtney Lawes expects to be the best in the world

England centurion Courtney Lawes has predicted his former Northampton Saints team-mate Tommy Freeman will become “one of the best wingers in the world, if not the best.”

The England great made this prediction when joining his former team-mate Danny Care on the Hits Different podcast, where he included his former Saints colleague in his ‘Ultimate XV’.

Though there is a 12-year age gap between the former Saints and England captain Lawes, 36, and Freeman, 24, they shared the field in both the the green, black and yellow of Northampton and the white of the national team.

The Brive forward may well have only seen Freeman during the fledgling years of his career, but he believes the 103kg winger has “got everything”.

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This came after a Six Nations where Freeman scored in each of England’s five matches – campaign described by Care as a “coming of age” for the 20-cap international.

Furthermore, both England centurions expect Freeman to start for the British and Irish Lions against Australia at the end of the season.

Freeman was one of five England internationals to make the list, which included Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Manu Tuilagi and Jonny Wilkinson, who Lawes described as “probably the best English rugby player that we’ve ever had.”

“Another foresight pick is Tommy Freeman,” Lawes said. “I’ve said it for a long time – he’s not there yet, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of wingers that are better than he is now – but I think that he will get there.

“He’s just got everything you need, you’d want in a back. He’s not really matured yet in his body. He’s not as strong and as big and as powerful as he can be. So I think if he continues to push himself, he’ll be one of the best wingers in the world, if not the best.

Care added: “It looks like the coming of age this Six Nations. He’s still so young, but he was like ‘right, this is my team now, give me the ball, I’ll score some tries, I’ll get us going.’ For me, he starts on the right wing for the Lions.

“He’s 100 per cent in the Lions starting squad, I think,” said Lawes.

Courtney Lawes’ Ultimate XV
15. Beauden Barrett
14. Tommy Freeman
13. Manu Tuilagi
12. Ma’a Nonu
11. Cheslin Kolbe
10. Jonny Wilkinson
9. Aaron Smith
1. Ellis Genge
2. Jamie George
3. Tadhg Furlong
4. Samu Manoa
5. Bakkie Botha
6. Pieter-Steph du Toit
7. David Pocock
8. Ardie Savea