Former Six Nations stars give their predictions for the tournament
Family guy Lawes f inds fatherhood has helped him excel for both Northampton and England
CHAOS ensues in the Lawes household. In the living room, two-year-old Teddy is crying about having his photograph taken. In the kitchen, fellow England lock Joe Launchbury and his young family have paid a visit to meet the newborn twins, Hugo and Otto, and their daughter has just trapped her finger in the door.
‘Welcome to the mad house,’ says Courtney Lawes with a laugh, as four-year-old Nelly pulls herself up on to his shoulders. ‘When I’m not playing rugby, I’m pretty much a full-time climbing frame for the kids.’
Next month, Lawes will be crunching opponents at Twickenham, but there is a softer side to England’s enforcer. The shelves are covered with cards of congratulations, with Eddie Jones among the long list of well-wishers following the family’s newest double arrival on December 28.
‘People always ask: “Does being a parent make you a better rugby player?”,’ says Lawes. ‘I think it does. Being a dad, you soon grow up and you learn that a little bit of patience goes a long way. You settle down and realise that you don’t need to do something world breaking every day.’
Consistency in life has helped Lawes deliver consistency on the field. He is no longer just a YouTube sensation with a highlights reel dominated by rib-crunching hits. His all-round game has developed.
However, with a nightclub doorman for a father and a prison officer for a mother, the second row turned flanker will always have some natural growl.
‘My dad’s a tough guy, keen on his martial arts,’ says Lawes. ‘Quite a slim 6ft 3in build.
‘When I was younger, it was all about smashing massive guys, making line breaks and that kind of stuff. Until I was around 24, I pretty much got injured before every Six Nations. I was reckless.
‘These days I don’t get as worked up. My game has changed. I’m stronger than I used to be but I’ve learned to pick my battles a bit more wisely.
‘You still like to bang people, though — just maybe chop the ones who steam into you at 100 miles an hour!’
Lawes has been given licence to roam in the back row with Northampton. His increasingly authoritative club performances have not gone unnoticed by England head coach Jones, who allowed the 28-year-old to skip the recent training camp in Brighton to spend time with his newborns.
‘Eddie’s a family guy and sent a gift for the twins, which was nice,’ says Lawes. ‘He’s done nothing but good things for England and he’s not the kind of guy who will rest on what he’s already done.
‘I remember the first time I spoke to him was on the phone in 2015. He heard that I liked to take my PlayStation into camp, because we get a bit of downtime, and he told me to leave it at home.
‘He is always going to drive standards and, while the end goal is the World Cup, we never look past the next game.’
Nowadays, Lawes has little time to spend on his PlayStation.
In the absence of Dylan Hartley, he has taken on additional captaincy responsibilities with Northampton. He has focused on increasing his weight to 17st5lb, with Jones pleased by the results.
‘Courtney’s built like a basketballer who wants to play rugby, so he needs to keep his weight up,’ said Jones. ‘You can always tell which hotel room he’s in because there’s always a room service tray outside his door. It’s: “Where’s Courtney? There he is!” He likes to order a club sandwich!’
In a break from parenting duty, Lawes has spent the last week in camp with Jones in Portugal.
‘He’s got a bit of energy for someone with four kids,’ said Jones. ‘The thing that’s impressed me most about him is his consistency. Since last year’s Six Nations, when he was one of our leading players, he’s been with the Lions and looked a quality player in every game.
‘Once you get into that position where you’re a guaranteed seven out of 10 every game, then you’re an automatic selection. His whole attitude has changed. When I first took over, his attitude was reasonably indifferent. Now he’s so thirsty to keep improving and keep learning.’
There is still plenty on Lawes’ rugby bucket list. Back at his modern, redbrick home on the outskirts of Northampton, however, there is no sign of rugby memorabilia to enshrine his achievements. Instead, there are mountains of kids’ toys.
‘Maybe when we’ve got our “forever house”, then I’ll put up some rugby stuff on the walls,’ says Lawes. ‘This place isn’t really big enough for four kids so we’ll have to upsize at some point.’
Those decisions can wait until the future. Right now, Lawes already has his hands full.
When I’m not playing rugby, I’m pretty much a full-time climbing frame for the kids