Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury ‘top locks for England’

Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury must be England’s World Cup starting locks, according to Nick Kennedy, who describes the pair as having “everything”.
Red Rose boss Stuart Lancaster named five out-and-out second-rows in his 50-man training squad, with Geoff Parling, Dave Attwood and George Kruis also included, along with versatile lock-cum-back-rowers Nick Easter, Ed Slater and Saracens bolter Maro Itoje.
But former England lock Kennedy is tipping Northampton‘s Lawes and Launchbury, of Wasps, to start, with Leicester and Lions star Parling providing back-up.
Kennedy told TRP: “I’m a big fan of Launchbury and Lawes. They had a cracking partnership before Launchbury got injured and they can do it all.
“They’ve no weaknesses and it’s not like that old-school combination where one is a big, grunting, heavy front-jumper and the other is more athletic, they can both genuinely do everything.
“Launchbury’s work-rate, complemented by Lawes’ physicality means they’re not only a great partnership, they can both make all sorts of tackles and are great at the lineout. They can both steal the ball on the floor and they’re the top two for me.”
Kennedy believes Parling’s lineout work gives him the edge over other leading contenders, recalling the Leicester man’s influence during last summer’s Test series in New Zealand.
He added: “Behind Launchbury and Lawes, you look at Geoff Parling’s experience and what he brings from a lineout point of view. The way he called the lineout against New Zealand in Auckland last year was brilliant.
“He was always one step ahead of a very good New Zealand lineout and he’s got a big engine, too, so he would be in my World Cup top three.”
Intriguingly, Kennedy believes New Zealand-based Matt Symons could yet come into the reckoning once he returns to England later this summer.
Ex-Esher man Symons joins London Irish from Waikato Chiefs in July and would immediately become available should England require his services.
Kennedy added: “Dave Attwood, George Kruis and Ed Slater are all in there but Matt Symons is still an outside shot. I’ve spoken to England forwards coach Graham Rowntree and if there are injuries, he’s definitely on their radar.”
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