Lawes: We need to get our aggression back

➤ Flanker says England defence must be physical but disciplined ➤ Warning comes after two players sent off against Wales

Courtney Lawes wants England to rediscover their defensive dominance against Wales despite being placed on red alert to avoid any cards at the Principality Stadium.

In both Wales’s opening victories, the opposition have had a player sent off, while in the teams’ previous Guinness Six Nations match at Twickenham last year, England centre Manu Tuilagi was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on George North. Hence, discipline has been a key focus for England this week heading to Cardiff, where Wales will be gunning for a Triple Crown on Saturday.

Despite their perfect start to the Championship, Wales head coach Wayne Pivac is expected to make a number of changes, with Kieran Hardy starting at scrum-half, and Josh Adams and North returning to the back line. North will win his 100th Wales cap at outside centre, with Jonathan Davies at No12.

England’s head coach, Eddie Jones, is likely to make few changes as they look to keep their title defence alive. While much focus has been placed on their stuttering attacking play, Lawes says England will only get back to their best once their defence clicks.

“We want to get back to our intensity in our defence and making that the pillar of our team again,” the flanker said. “I think when we do that, we are a much better team. Especially when you have not played for a while and there are a lot of new players in the team, it is really easy to lose your identity.

“You do not know what you are about and what you want to display when you go out there. Sometimes it takes a couple of games to even realise that you have forgotten about it and that you need to readjust it.”

After Ireland flanker Peter O’mahony and Scotland prop Zander Fagerson were sent off in consecutive weeks against Wales, there was a spate of red cards in the Gallagher Premiership last weekend. Having paid particular attention to tackle technique, Lawes says there is an acute awareness among England’s team to avoid doing “anything stupid” on Saturday.

“We’ve spoken about just making sure that you wrap your arms,” Lawes said. “We’re quite good anyway at doing that, you just need to make sure everyone knows, everybody is on the same page and it’s something that we’re thinking about, because ultimately we don’t want to be giving away penalties and certainly not yellows and reds.”

Both O’mahony and Fagerson’s red cards were a result of illegal clear-outs at the breakdown and England forwards coach Matt Proudfoot says speed and accuracy in that area will be paramount on Saturday. That, however, will not compromise England’s physicality and Lawes will be tasked with setting the tone.

“I think the balance that Courtney brings to the pack is crucial,” Proudfoot said. “He gives you a real presence, particularly around the edges defensively or carrying the ball. But more so, you get those type of forwards who are the glue in the pack. It is not something you can measure on a spreadsheet, it is not something you measure in a stat, but it is the presence they bring, the confidence they bring to the players around them.”