England Player Profiles

Courtney Lawes

Key Facts

Squad	Northampton Saints
Position	Lock/Flanker
Age	24
Height	2m (6'7")
Weight	111kg (17st 6lb)
Caps	20

Little did Courtney Lawes imagine in his formative rugby days that he would become the 2010 Investec Man of the Series, play in the 2011 RWC and go on to win 20 caps to date, including his first as a flanker in the starting line up against France at Twickenham in late February this year.

He appeared in three RWC matches, including the quarter final against France but was unavailable for the opening two RBS 6 Nations Championship games in 2012 through a knee injury sustained against Newcastle Falcons on New Year’s Eve.

Courtney played off the bench for the final 19 minutes against Wales at Twickenham in February last year but subsequently underwent a scan on his right leg that revealed an inflammation of the tibia and he was unavailable for the France match in Paris the following month.

Injuries delayed his next appearance until November when he appeared off the bench for the last 13 minutes against the All Blacks in an electric atmosphere at Twickenham. The circumstances of the match made his comeback memorable as England beat the All Blacks for the first time in ten matches.

His powerful tackle on Ireland full back Rob Kearney led to the penalty goal by Owen Farrell that took England into a match-winning 12-6 lead at the Aviva Stadium in early February this year.

Just like England luminaries Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson, Courtney Lawes graduated to Northampton Saints from the Northampton Old Scouts' rugby club that was founded in 1926 by scouts around a camp fire at Castle Ashby.

Courtney was born in Hackney but raised only a punt away from Franklin's Gardens, the home of the Saints, and is relishing a career that gathered momentum with a cap against Australia in November 2009. He won others against Scotland in March 2010 and Australia at Perth that June before his first starts against the Wallabies in Sydney and New Zealand at Twickenham.

Something equally memorable was to follow when he took a blind side pass from Ben Youngs against Australia and sent away Chris Ashton on the 85 metre sprint to the Australia line that projected England into a 26-6 lead in the 35-18 victory at Twickenham in November 2010.

A towering forward with athleticism to match, he rocketed into the club’s senior side in January 2009 with a man-of-the-match display against Montpellier while still a member of the senior academy. His Premiership debut followed a fortnight later off the bench against Harlequins.

A National One appearance against Esher in 2007-08 was his first team baptism and illustrated his qualities as a quick learner. He took up the game only ten years ago, started thinking about rugby seriously when he was 16 and was the only member of the England U20 squad that reached the final of the IRB Junior World Championship in Japan in June 2009 to be chosen for the Saxons’ squad that July.

Further promotion followed to the England Elite Squad the following autumn after Nick Easter was injured. Courtney said after his Saxons’ selection: “I was not expecting it. I have had a lot of congratulations but I am going to keep my head down and work hard.” He has done just that and made 105 appearances and scored three tries for the Saints in six seasons by mid March this year. An injury to his left knee sustained in a match against Saracens last October ruled him out of contention for the QBE Internationals against Fiji and Australia the following month.

Courtney, who was educated at Moulton College, had toured Australia with England U18 in 2007, missed the 2008 U20 Six Nations Championship through injury but figured in the 2009 tournament before continuing to produce commanding performances at blind side flanker and lock for his club.