Lawday relishing key role in Alex’s absence

AS he prepares to deputise for England call-up Alex Dombrandt against Saracens today, Quins No.8 Tom Lawday says his move from Exeter to London has been the making of him.

Lawday is into his third season at Quins but the 27year-old says he felt right at home from day one.

“I was at university when I first got called in at Exeter so I wasn’t full-time, and when I signed, I was in the senior academy so I was kind of in the shadows,” he said.

“I remember my first week here, the coaches were really excited, they were talking to me and they came to me for ideas. So immediately from the outset, I felt that I was taken a bit more seriously.

“I settled in as a first team player right from the start which made me feel a lot more comfortable and filled me with confidence.”

Lawday has already passed the half-century mark for appearances at Quins but he’s never faced Saracens in the Premiership at The Stoop before.

“They have been a big part of the Premiership over the last however many seasons, aside from last year, and with them being our London rivals, it is a massive occasion and we can’t wait for it” he said.

“There is just a different buzz around the club leading up to this game. The boys that have been here for a while drive that, it is really exciting.

“It has been so nice to have sell-outs the last couple of weeks and I imagine we’ll sell-out again with it being a local derby. They’ll be right behind us giving us that extra few per cent that will hopefully get us the win.”

No player has carried more ball in the Premiership this season than today’s opposite number, Billy Vunipola. But Lawday is confident he can make his own mark on the game.

“I want to get my hands on the ball, I can get over the gainline and get frontfoot ball but I can also be used as a bit of a ball player which I really enjoy. To have those two kind of attributes, I think is perfect especially for the Quins style of play.”