FARRELL KEY FOR ENGLAND
Lawes hails impact of recalled playmaker, ahead of Australia game
OWEN FARRELL is set to be recalled for Saturday’s Cook Cup clash against Australia buoyed by recognition from Courtney Lawes over his influence on England.
Farrell was rested for the 21-8 victory over Argentina in last weekend’s autumn opener at Twickenham but is expected to return to the matchday 23 when Eddie Jones names his team on Thursday morning.
The British and Irish Lions playmaker – son of rugby league great Andy Farrell – acted as waterboy at Twickenham and Lawes insists his return will have a far reaching impact on the team.
“Owen is a brilliant and exceptional player. He’s a player who can change the course of a game and the dynamics of a team,” Lawes said.
“I’m not surprised by the way he’s developed. It’s because of his heritage that he’s very determined and very focused – one of the most focused players I’ve ever come across.
“He understands the game as well as having all the skills he needs to be able to perform at the level he does. He’s demanding of his team-mates, but there a lot of boys like that and you need those kind of players in your team, definitely.”
Lawes’s own worth to England was underlined by his strong performance against Argentina and the Northampton lock is among the Aviva Premiership’s form players having impressed on the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.
“Last season I was playing a lot better and I’ve been able to improve game upon game,” Lawes said.
“I went on the Lions tour and I was still able to do it and then carry that into this season. I have a lot of confidence in myself, especially being able to stay fit for so long.
“For me playing week-in, weekout is a big thing. I am feeling like my form is solid, no ups and downs, which is perfect.
“It means I can go into games confident and do what I need to for the team.”
England produced an unsatisfactory start to the autumn described by Jones as a “grindathon”, but Lawes insists the victory was not without its merits.
“There isn’t any frustration because we weren’t lacking in intent. We just needed more clarity and we hadn’t played together for a while,” he said.
“It doesn’t always come together right away and I thought we did well to come away with such a good win, which was the most important thing.”
France will host the 2023 Rugby World Cup after World Rugby’s membership voted against the recommendation made by the governing body’s independent evaluation committee, prompting criticism from preferred bidder South Africa.
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont denied being humiliated, repeatedly defending the bidding process as open and transparent.
But South Africa Rugby described the two weeks since it was named preferred candidate as “entirely opaque” and hit out at rivals France and Ireland for not complying with a code of conduct.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said: “This is the first time ever World Rugby has made a recommendation and they voted against it. (But) a set of rules was broken during that process which we are upset about.”
Alexander was referring to the fallout from the publication of the independent recommendation, which saw France and Ireland question aspects of the judgement and World Rugby respond to those allegations.
French bid chief Bernard Laporte felt the communication over a “misunderstanding” within the independent report “helped us – maybe”.
South Africa felt “99 per cent” certain it would be hosting the tournament for a second time, after its successful staging in 1995 when the Springboks won in the first tournament in the postApartheid era.
A simple majority from the 39 votes was required and France claimed 24 in the second round of voting to be selected as hosts of the 10th edition ahead of South Africa after Ireland’s elimination in round one.
Beaumont said: “A humiliation for me? I don’t think so.
“We’ve made a recommendation. The recommendation wasn’t accepted by council.
“Just because it went to France doesn’t mean there’s humiliation whatsoever.”
Roux insisted South Africa would take the experience “on the chin” and it would not put them off making a future bid.
“If it depends on me, absolutely... we’ll try again. At some stage we need to bring it back. Hopefully 2027,” Roux said.
South Africa lost 30-3 to Ireland in Dublin last Saturday and go to Paris to face France this weekend.
Roux added: “I’m still trying to figure out which is the worst result. Last Saturday’s or today.”