England’s Courtney Lawes to retire from international duty after Argentina clash،
PARIS, France — England and British and Irish Lions forward Courtney Lawes has announced he will step down from international duty following Friday’s bronze medal match against Argentina at the Rugby World Cup.
Lawes, 34, has won 105 caps for England and played five test matches for the Lions on their 2017 and 2021 tours. He is considered one of the great forwards in English rugby, having been equally adept at second line than in the back line, but this will be his last tournament in the famous jersey.
Lawes will continue to play for Northampton Saints but said soon after England’s heartbreaking 16-15 defeat to South Africa in the semi-final on Saturday it would be his last competition.
“It was my last World Cup. Kids are at that age where they need their dad,” Lawes said. “It would be nice to be with them more, to provide the crowd with much-needed structure.
“It’s a bit of an end of an era, but it’s been a real honor for me to represent England for so long. It goes by quickly. I’m proud of how far I’ve come. not always been the case. There are a lot of weak points in there, but I managed.
“I’m not really an emotional person, but to be honest, it’s been a huge honor. To be able to finish with this group, it’s something I’ll cherish forever.”
When asked to sum up Lawes’ impact in an England shirt, manager Steve Borthwick said: “Well, I think we could talk about his low tackles from Courtney Lawes, who cut attackers on their way. What I see in Courtney is someone who covers the ground and, in crucial moments, finds himself in the right place, at the right time, very often.
“It’s a real sign of the player’s intelligence, a sign of his understanding, the player just being in the moment. And that’s what he continues to do. Over 100 caps now, and you You can see how hungry he is. It’s helping the team by the way he runs.”
Lawes admitted he had not yet informed Borthwick of his intention to retire, but said it was common knowledge. “I’ll let him know,” Lawes said. “But I’ve told the boys, everyone I’ve been asked. I think it’s time. I’ve been to four World Cups, so I’m pretty happy with it.”
Lawes was England’s vice-captain at the World Cup and captained his country 12 times. His England career saw him win three Six Nations titles in 2016, 2017 and 2020, while he also started in the World Cup final in 2019.
“I think even though it’s hard being away from family and stuff like that, you almost have another family,” Lawes said. “We really feel like that, especially when we are in camps like the World Cup.
“I’ve been staying with your brothers for five months. I’ll definitely miss the boys, the jokes, and everything we do when we’re not training. I’ll miss the hard work too. And I’ll definitely miss donning the jersey and to give everything.”
When asked what his best memory was, Lawes said: “I have so many. I think in general, from the last World Cup to this one, the group of guys we have through, I really enjoyed being a part of the You can see what it really means for us to play for each other.
“When you play teams like South Africa, where everyone thinks you’re going to get slaughtered, and you find another level for each other. So I’ll especially miss this group of boys. We had a lot good times with these guys.
