Courtney Lawes has revealed England players intend to use the ongoing Owen Farrell saga to help light a fire under their World Cup preparations against Ireland on Saturday.
There is clear frustration within England’s ranks, both at the reopening of a case they felt was closed and what Steve Borthwick described as “personal attacks” on Farrell’s character. Lawes, England’s stand-in captain, believes supporters will not fully appreciate Farrell until he has hung up his boots and said the regular captain is arguably the nation’s finest ever No 10. “We can certainly tap into a bit this week because it’s a big game and it’s important to us,” said Lawes. “Boys like Gengey [Ellis Genge] have kind of tapped into it a bit this week.
