Former captain Courtney Lawes has called for England’s young players to step up against France on Saturday, warning them it’s figuratively “kill or be killed” in the Six Nations.
In his column for The Times, Lawes, who won 105 caps for his country, questioned some England players’ resilience both on and off the pitch.
“Up until now those younger lads have known only sunshine and rainbows in their international careers,” Lawes wrote.
“This Six Nations has been a massive wake-up call. They are getting a real taste of what rugby is like when the sport that means so much to them is not going well. It can crush you and destroy your confidence.
“This is not a dig at anyone’s background — but this might be the worst point in their lives.
“So how can they be properly equipped to deal with the pressure from coaches because of their performances and from external voices because of the results?”
England go to Paris this week looking to avoid their worst-ever return in a Six Nations campaign, with just one win against Wales in round one so far before three straight defeats.
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Having gone into the tournament with hopes if winning the title for the first time since 2020, when Lawes was in the squad, England have faltered with pressure ramping up on both the players and head coach Steve Borthwick.
Lawes has said it’s time to find out which players can step up and lead England out of adversity.
“… The younger generation of players coming through, especially in England, are quite sheltered,” the former Northampton lock continued.
“You only have to look at the TikTok dance that Henry Pollock, Tommy Freeman, Freddie Steward and Fin Smith recorded last autumn.
“My God, I could not imagine any other team in England’s history where that would have happened.
“I’m not saying it was unacceptable or a bad thing. I’m just saying there’s a difference between the boys who want to do that kind of stuff and the boys who have been through the wringer and have faced pretty hard times.”
Before the tournament, Borthwick backed his younger players to express themselves, insisting the game needs superstars.
Lawes also took aim at the coaching staff for becoming too reliant on kicking and their lack of attacking creativity.
“The more that England have underperformed, the more risk-averse Borthwick has become with the game plan,” Lawes said.
“The standard of attacking rugby in the Prem is high. There are some unbelievable tries being scored every week from first-phase shape, from multi-phase rugby and lineout launch plays.
“That’s where questions need to be asked. Our ability to score tries has been appalling. England just want to kick before we’ve even fired a shot.”
