Ollie Lawrence usually dominates collisions. It's a big part of their repertoire. But, ahead of the Six Nations, the England center was convicted of acting out, after slight contact with a Test team-mate.
When the 25-year-old Bath midfield maestro spoke to sport mail In Girona, it was urgent to make things clear. Lawrence was stunned by the reaction he faced earlier this month and was at pains to emphasize that he is not a diver.
He is not a cheater. These were the accusations leveled against him after the events at Franklin's Gardens on January 5.
In summary for those who missed it; Bath traveled to Northampton to face the Saints three weekends ago and their number 13 was chosen as the sinner in a close encounter, which the Midlands club won 35-34 against their West Country rivals. Lawrence became the punished pantomime villain when he made a getaway, only to fall after a blow to the head from Alex Mitchell.
The hosts' England scrum-half was condemned to the trash and the Northampton crowd turned on Lawrence, who was then subjected to further abuse, in person and on social media. So, after joining the national team for a pre-tournament training camp in northern Spain, he tried to explain the episode and his measured response to it.
“I have a lot of stick in the ground,” Lawrence said. 'During the game, they booed me and called me a cheater. After the game, some people talked to me. One person said that his son looked up to me but wouldn't want me to be a role model for him now. That made me think, “Maybe I need to reflect on my actions. Was it the right decision (to go down)?”
England's Ollie Lawrence has emphasized that he is not a jumper after facing fierce backlash
Lawrence received a blow to the head from Alex Mitchell, who was then condemned to sin.
The crowd turned against Lawrence and he faced more abuse in person and on social media.
'In sport, you do everything you can to win. I was frustrated because they called me a cheater for diving because I got hit in the head. If someone called me soft for falling, I could accept it, but let them call me a cheater; I didn't agree with that.
“I'm doing what I can for my team and, right now, that's what I chose to do. Maybe in the future I wouldn't do it. It was tough: I was getting a lot of heat. I didn't want to be the villain and that's why I apologized (in a post on social media). We all make mistakes.'
Lawrence's argument was that, given the fact that a familiar enemy made contact with his head (a prohibited area in rugby), he was entitled to go down, knowing that a penalty could have helped Bath's hopes of a victory. transcendental as a visitor. However, there has been growing concern about acting becoming an issue in rugby, which may explain the ferocity of the criticism directed at Lawrence.
“I understand,” he said. 'Maybe I hit the sticks a little bit because of that. But I wouldn't say it's infiltrating our sport. When people talk about soccer and diving, they are referring to players rolling on the ground, trying to milk something. I didn't dive. I didn't hit the ground and start rolling.
'I don't think it's infiltrating our game. As rugby players we do a good job of keeping our heads together, being respectful to the referee and playing with good spirit.'
There is one more important point to make on this topic; a bit of life context. This is not a player with a history of so-called simulation, far from it. In fact, just a week earlier against Saracens, Lawrence had suffered a brutal and illegal shot and had made no fuss.
“I took the first phase and completely melted down,” he said. 'I got up again and went straight to the next phase. Then the referee removes the ball and he (Toby Knight) receives a red card. I ran into that guy probably 10 times harder than Mitch, they hit me in the head and I kept playing. If I were diving, it would be a constant trait in me. Which is not. I play hard to win.'
Drawing a line after an incendiary incident, Lawrence took stock of a key moment in his career. He has become a fixture of England's midfield; starting in each of the last 10 Tests contested by Steve Borthwick's side, initially at inside center and then at 13. He is considered in “good form” for the upcoming Six Nations opener against Ireland in Dublin next Saturday, having fine-tuned with a 'dress rehearsal' against most of the same opponents when Bath took on Leinster.
Lawrence insists acting is not creeping into rugby despite growing concerns
He has become a fixture in England's midfield and is in 'good form' ahead of the Six Nations
Having established himself as one of the country's top players, he has joined a handful of other oval ball stars as a client of Roc Nation, rapper Jay-Z's talent agency. Their intention is to begin carefully exploring opportunities that are in line with their sporting condition.
“I just thought there might be some growth for me off the field,” Lawrence said. 'Hopefully, I can build my brand. That something I felt I was prepared for. I may do well, I may not, we'll have to wait and see!
There was a laugh when he said that. This is a player with a lot of self-confidence, but he is not an arrogant character who simply assumes he has the right to be in the lights. He is also sensible enough to have waited for the ideal moment to start improving his profile.
“If I was 21, 22 years old and signed with Roc, it would have gone to my head a little bit,” he said. 'Maybe I would have felt bigger than I am. But when you've been here a little longer and you're more comfortable with yourself, I think it's okay to take advantage of those opportunities. “I felt like it was the right time.”
He wants to be at the center of rugby's quest to attract new, younger markets, adding: “It's important for us to grow rugby off the field.” There are now many great players who are being recognized in a broader space because of the things they do outside of the game. That is very important because it can attract new fans to our sport and we have to do it.
'I enjoy watching kids be themselves and express themselves in terms of how they dress, how they talk and who they associate with. I saw some of the French guys, Cameron Woki and Antoine Dupont, at a Louis Vuitton fashion show. If we go back five or ten years, something like that wasn't happening. It's brilliant for them and doesn't detract from what they do in their work. It doesn't mean that France won't play well in the Six Nations because they are in an event like that.
'They had the opportunity to do something interesting and meet new people, and that's good; having people from our sport there who can interact with other people and get recognition. Hopefully, it can become a much more recognized sport with a larger fan base. “That's what we all want.”
Lawrence insisted that “rugby will always be the priority.” He is not willing to take his eyes off the ball. And when asked if it was attractive to be recognized and receive the attention that comes with being an England player, he admitted it is a complex equation.
Lawrence wants to be at the center of rugby's quest to attract new, younger markets
He knows a quick revival is required for England's Six Nations campaign to be a success.
“That's a tough question,” he said. 'I've thought a lot about this. There are times when it's great and times when it really isn't. When you're young, you think, “This is class: everyone wants my photo, everyone wants my signature. I want to have this attention.” But as you get older and have a partner and a family, that goes away and you want privacy.
'In terms of my current life, it can be difficult sometimes when you just want to go out with your partner for a drink or something to eat. I lived in the city (Bath), but I moved because I wanted to get away from it. It's not something I like. When I was younger, I definitely thought (being recognized) would be better, but as I've gotten older it's something I want less.'
On the other hand, Lawrence wants to interact with the public in other innovative ways, so she started vlogging: sharing videos on TikTok to provide insight into her daily routines and also serve as a platform for her views on the topic. game. In the coming weeks, he intends to share videos with his thoughts on England's Six Nations campaign.
They are entering the deepest; with a showdown against champions Ireland in Dublin. Lawrence knows an urgent revival is required, after seven defeats in 12 Tests last year, and that he has an important role to play in making that happen. Having beaten the Irish by one point last year, they will not travel to their capital next week with an inferiority complex.
“We think we can go to Ireland and surprise them,” he said. 'We want to be one of the best teams in the world and Ireland is in our way. You have to respect the other team, but not too much. We respect how well they have done in recent years, but they are beatable. “We beat them last season and we think we can do it again this year.”