Of course the comparison is not exact. Lawrence is quicker and more evasive while Tuilagi has more horsepower in the tank and miles on the clock. To truly fill the void, Jones has challenged Lawrence to improve his consistency so that he does not veer from 9/10 to 4/10 performances. That might seem a tall order, but Lawrence simply says, “at the same time what is stopping me from doing that?”
Lawrence is not diminishing the challenge of adapting from club to international rugby. He says the intensity in the Ireland game was “mind-blowing”, but it was one he relished. The bigger the stage, the greater Lawrence’s appetite.
“I went away (from the Autumn Nations Cup) with a feeling of confidence of what I can offer towards the team, and where I am at with playing the game,” Lawrence said. “Test rugby is a huge step up, compared to club rugby, but it is one that excited me and one that I enjoyed. Playing those Test matches was the most enjoyable rugby I’ve played.”
This is not false bravado. Lawrence’s self-belief is fostered upon a determination to do things his own way. He was on the books of Birmingham City and Aston Villa from the age of 6 to 11 but walked away when he became disillusioned.
“I don’t want to be doing fitness shuttles at 10 years old, I want to be kicking a football about and eating sweets,” Lawrence said. “Don’t get me wrong, there are many people out there who step out the womb and want to be playing football, but for me that wasn’t the case. There are so many perks to being a footballer, but it’s just something I never saw myself being.”
Instead Lawrence divided his time between rugby and cricket, which was his first love. He was in Warwickshire’s ranks until he was 15 and may have gone further had he been able to sign a T20 contract.
“When I played, you could only sign a one-day contract or a three-day contract,” Lawrence said. “You won’t get me on a field for three days.”
Instead his path was set when he headed down to Wellington Schools Festival as a 15-year-old to “see what the craic was” and came to the attention of England’s age-grade scouts. The common theme was Lawrence’s relentless competitiveness.
“Whatever sport I played – be it badminton in a PE lesson – I couldn’t lose,” Lawrence said. “There was no part of me that could play against people and just let them win. I took it as a sign of weakness and I couldn’t do that.”
At times, he has struggled to contain that element of his personality, particularly when he was being eased into the first team by Warriors director of rugby Alan Solomons. Conversations with former Worcester and England centre Ben Te’o helped him attain a more level footing.
“His main advice was that you need to be as professional as you can on and off the field but rugby is just a game,” Lawrence said. “You don’t want to let it consume you. I have learned how to have that balance of switching on and switching off. Because if your life is consumed by rugby, all of your emotions and your feelings will also relate to that.”
Further perspective was provided by the devastating neck injury suffered by Worcester team-mate Michael Faitialofa 12 months ago. “The character he has shown to pull himself through to where he is now and have that determination to not give up,” Lawrence said. “It makes you more grateful for the position you’re in. It makes you realise you can’t take things for granted in life because it can be taken away from you at any point.”
Determined to make the most of every moment, Lawrence is unfazed by the challenge of helping England kick on in the Six Nations Championship.
“We were happy with the level we were at in the Autumn Nations Cup but we know we can take it so much further,” Lawrence said. “It’s exciting. We really can take our game and the way we train and the way we play to another level.”
