England lock Courtney Lawes ready to fulfill world-class potential, says Martin Johnson
Martin Johnson believes England lock Courtney Lawes is finally ready to fulfill his world-class potential eight years after handing him his international debut.
Even if Joe Launchbury won the official man of the match award in the 21-16 victory against Wales in Cardiff, Johnson felt Lawes was the more deserving recipient.
The former England manager has long been a fan of Lawes’s destructive defence. He used to joke that the ferocity of Lawes’s tackles produced its own distinctive sound.
Yet after bursting on to the scene in 2009, injuries began to take their toll on Lawes, who turns 28 next week, and he was overtaken in the second row pecking order by Maro Itoje and George Kruis under Eddie Jones.
Last Saturday when Lawes, scrummaged at blindside, was a pertinent reminder for Johnson of his enduring talents. “I thought he played really well,” Johnson, speaking at a Land Rover event at Staines rugby club, said.
“He used to come out of the line to make some big hits but I just think his all-round game has improved so much. I thought he carried hard and got over the gainline for England as well as making some big hits. People rave about numbers but sometimes one big impact can change a game as well.
“I think he is coming up to where he could be. He’s a very good athlete, a different sort of athlete. He has got potential to be a world-class player absolutely. He has got a number of gifts. he is very different. In many ways, he is one of the most gifted players in that position that we have seen.”
Jones’ side have already broken the English record of 14 consecutive victories set when Johnson was captain in 2003. Now they have New Zealand’s overall world record of 18 straight wins in their sights. Yet even if they overhaul that by securing back to back grand slams, Johnson remains unconvinced that they deserve to be considered as New Zealand’s superiors.
Most consecutive Test wins for a Tier One nation
“People don’t remember No 1 team,” Johnson said. “The 2007 All Black team played some of the best rugby you will see but no one remembers them because they didn’t the World Cup. I am not saying that’s right, it is just the way it is. But until they played New Zealand next year we don’t know how good they are.
“When you watch New Zealand play, they play at a high level and make very few mistakes. The only criticism you would make of the Six Nations is that they are making too many mistakes to be the best team in the world. If you want to be the best in the world you can’t be giving as many chances as England gave to Wales to re-attack them at the end of the first half.”
