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Gallagher-Prime Minister
Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson believes veteran Courtney Lawes, who was left out of English Nations Championship training camp this week, will force itself into Steve Borthwick’s plans at some point this season.
Lawes, 37, has made five appearances for the Sharks since returning to PREM from Brive as he aims to end his playing career in 2027. Rugby World Cup in Australia.
The Northampton The Saints legend won the last of his 105 England matches in the 2023 World Cup semi-final defeat to South Africa, before moving to France ruled him out of selection, and Sanderson believes it would take a brave man to bet he would win more.
“If this is his last year, which he says it is, I think he might have another year in him. But it’s time for his wife. He wants to finish the World Cup and win the World Cup. That’s his ambition. That’s his ambition.”
“But it’s not all about what he just wants, is it? He’s got to play well, perform and also get it, it’s like, if I do well for Sale then I’ll get there. It’s very process driven.”
“He’s on the radar but at the moment with (Ollie) Chessum, (George) Martin and Maro (Itoje), I don’t think he’d get much attention around the autumn and they (England) said there’s no point going in and holding the bags and stuff.
“I would be surprised, when we found the pattern, if it wasn’t included in the Six Nations or the World Cup moving forward. The way he’s playing, he’s getting better, isn’t he? He is back in PREM after a year or two break.
“He didn’t have a huge amount of impact or carry the ball in the first couple of games. It didn’t look like he was out of rhythm, he matched up physically, but he just didn’t have the same impact as Courtney.
“And then against Quins, he produced steals, three lines. He’s got that in him. And we’re addressing our decision-making at the breakdown, which is a lot looser in Pro D2 than in Prem, and that is getting better.
“He played four games on the bounce, which he hasn’t done in three years. So there are real signs,” Sanderson told RugbyPass in the club’s weekly media call.
