The English newcomer hopes to make a name for himself in the Six Nations.
Ollie Lawrence says he finds it “flattering” when people want to compare him and him England Midfield powerhouse Manu Tuilagi.
England starts its Guinness Six Nations Campaign next month without Tuilagi continuing recovery from severe Achilles injury.
But at 21 year old Worcester Center Lawrence, England boss Eddie Jones has a player with similar traits to Tuilagi due to his groundbreaking skills and physical presence.
Your English squad for #GuinnessSixNations 2021 🌹
We’re launching our campaign against @Scotlandteam on February 6th at Twickenham Stadium
More details ⤵️ # WearTheRose
– England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) January 22, 2021
A promising footballer as a kid at Aston Villa and Birmingham, Lawrence made his bench test debut against Italy in October, then kicked off the Autumn Nations Cup victories against Georgia and Ireland.
And he’s a serious contender for Jones’s line-up when England take on Six Nations’ first opponent, Scotland, in Twickenham on February 6th.
“Manu is someone I have looked up to since I was a kid,” said Lawrence.
“When I was much younger I wanted to do it because I was upset by the way he played.
“I would watch his game and watch him. That’s probably how my game developed and players like him watched.
Manu Tuilagi in action for England (Adam Davy / PA)
“I know I will never be Manu. Manu will never be me. He has so many caps for England that he is probably one of the best centers ever played.”
“If people want to compare me to him, that’s their opinion, I’m not going to fight them. It’s not a burden at all. If anything, it’s flattering.
“The biggest thing for me is the consistency of having as many great moments as possible in the games, getting on the ball as much as possible and repeating that over the 80 minutes.”
“He (Jones) doesn’t want me to be eight out of ten one week and four or five out of ten the next.
“It’s about being a constant seven, eight or nine every week and not falling under that. I think that’s test rugby at the end of the day – it consistently plays at that top level and stays there.
“The game in Ireland (in November) was probably the most intense game I have ever played.
“In terms of the physicality and the way the game was played with boys flying off the line and hitting people, it was mind-blowing to be honest with you.”
As a teenager, round ball games, soccer, and cricket attracted Lawrence, and it wasn’t until he was a teenager that he knew rugby union was for him.
“Football was my first love, I loved playing it but it was just something I never saw myself,” he added. “The environment at an academy at such a young age was not for me.
We’re less than two weeks away from the 2021 championship with a blockbuster opening weekend.
IT #ITAvFRA Sa 6. – 2.15 p.m. #ENGvSCO Sa 6. – 4.45 p.m. #WALvIRE Sun 7. – 3.00 p.m. # GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/oJcgIrlqyn
– Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 24, 2021
“It clicked for me when I was 16. I didn’t really want rugby – cricket was the place I saw myself – then I played rugby for Midlands under 15, and when I played England under 16, professional rugby was the only thing on my mind. “
Lawrence is now focused on the Six Nations, with England aiming for a successful title defense and more silver following the success of the Autumn Nations Cup in December.
“We were happy with the level we were at in the Autumn Nations Cup, but we know we can go a lot further. It’s exciting,” he said.
“If we get that trust and move to the Six Nations, everyone will be ready to go and play excitedly.
“We know teams that may not have played in the Autumn Cup of Nations will also come back stronger so it’s now being taken to the next level to really move forward and see where we can take it.”