Watch out, Saints Courtney Lawes is back and bigger than ever

It was Andy Goode’s misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time last Saturday afternoon.
With 60 minutes of Worcester‘s match against Northampton gone, the Warriors fly-half caught the ball as first receiver and had just got his pass away when he was hit by a green scud missile that had come screaming out of the Saints defensive line.
In one moment, Courtney Lawes had just unleashed seven months of frustration at being sidelined through elbow and shin injuries and left Goode in a crumpled heap on the grass and those in the stands clutching their ribs in sympathy.
That was far from the 23-year-old’s only contribution in his first full match back – he made a mess of Worcester’s lineouts and restarts as well as scoring Saints’ bonus-point try – but it was the tackle on Goode, who he counts as a friend, from which he drew the most satisfaction.
It is a thought that should send a shudder down the spine of every member of the fly-half union that Lawes spent his time out adding a stone of muscle onto an already ample frame while his appetite for destruction has only been heightened by his absence.
Goode had only admiration for the tackle. He said: “I had just got the ball away and was looking the other way and Courtney came through and caught me full on.
“He can hit pretty hard and he has obviously got the size but it’s his technique that makes it a big hit. He gets really low and uses his whole body to generate the power; whereas some big guys just use their shoulders to hit high up. The ironic thing was that while the tackle was fine, I got pinged for a forward pass!”
Lawes, unsurprisingly, was also happy to talk about the tackle.
He told The Rugby Paper: “Scoring a try is brilliant, but nothing beats the rush you get from making a good hit with the lift it provides to you and your teammates.
“With Andy it was just a well-timed tackle. I don’t look to get individuals, you’re playing rugby and don’t think in terms of who you’re playing against – it’s a matter of waiting for the right opportunities.
“I had a chat with Andy before the game but that doesn’t come into it, I saw a chance to get a shot in and I took it – although I didn’t speak to him afterwards!
“When you get it right you can see the lift it gives to the rest of the boys.
“It’s been frustrating being out and I don’t usually get very nervous but I was very excited to play against Worcester. I’ve tried to put my time away to as good use as possible. I wanted to come back bigger and stronger.
“I wanted to put on a bit of weight and work on my power. I’ve put on just under a stone so I’m about 18st now. I hope to get a bit bigger, I still have the frame to carry it.
“Right now I feel better than I’ve ever done. I definitely think my best season of rugby is ahead of me.”
While he has made all his international starts in the second row, Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder has also employed him at blindside – as he did against Worcester.
Not many 6ft 7in players can escape the second row but Lawes’ ability to cover ground combined with dextrous handling – witness his assist in Chris Ashton’s length-of-the-field try against Australia – means he can make a seamless transition.
It will no doubt intrigue England head coach Stuart Lancaster and Lions boss Warren Gatland that Lawes would prefer the back row.
Lawes said: “In terms of how I play, there are only small technical differences in terms of where I scrum down.
“In the loose it is exactly the same and I can switch in and out of playing at No.6.
“It’s not a huge deal to Jim or me but I do enjoy No.6 that bit more. It allows you to get a couple more tackles in and influence the game a bit more.
“Everyone talks about England and the Lions but from my perspective my only focus is on playing well for Saints and then everything else will come from that.
“More than ever I need to keep my focus on my day job and not get distracted.
“We’ve had a good couple of years at Saints but I think we have more strength in depth than ever before.
“Winning a major trophy would mean such a lot. We have come up short so many times and you need to win something to stop people saying we are the nearly men.”
DANIEL SCHOFIELD