To collect his award as the Premiership’s player of the season, Ollie Lawrence had to leave Bath’s end-of-season bash in Lisbon on Tuesday. Two delayed flights later, plus a mad dash from Gatwick to central London, and Lawrence made it with moments to spare. Suffice it to say that tortuous journey is small fry compared to that which he has been on this season.
Lawrence was a worthy winner of the award for the manner in which he has performed on the pitch, firstly for Worcester despite their slide into the abyss, then for Bath who offered him, as he puts it, “a second chance”. He speaks of playing with a “desperation” to make the most of the lifeline afforded to him at the Rec and that was evident in his performances from the word go – bursting tackles and hitting rucks with such alacrity you could not help but take note. He is a worthy winner for how he handled himself off the field too, taking in a Worcester academy player who had been made homeless, addressing the Warriors’ plight in public with passion and resilience in equal measure.
