England Face Uncertainty Over Ollie Lawrence's Fitness Ahead of Argentina Test
England will head into their final autumn match against Argentina on Sunday with uncertainty surrounding the fitness of centre Ollie Lawrence, who limped off in the closing stages of their win over New Zealand. The 26-year-old player played a crucial role in the victory, scoring England's opening try and teeing up his centre partner Fraser Dingwall.
Lawrence has been in impressive form recently, battling back from an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia last summer. However, he was omitted from the side that defeated Australia earlier this month due to concerns about his fitness. Despite missing out, Lawrence has shown no signs of slowing down, impressing against Fiji and New Zealand.
With Lawrence's availability still in doubt, England manager Steve Borthwick will be breathing a sigh of relief if his centre can recover in time for the Argentina match. Borthwick was thrilled with the partnership between Lawrence and Dingwall, which blossomed in their win over the All Blacks. The duo's chemistry has raised hopes that they can become a solid partnership to take England into the next World Cup.
But Borthwick will also have to contend with the loss of Freddie Steward, who was withdrawn from the game against New Zealand due to a head injury. Steward's absence could be made worse if he is ruled out for the Argentina match, paving the way for Elliot Daly or Max Ojomoh to come in at full-back.
For England, winning all three autumn matches would be a significant achievement, with the team looking to make it 11 successive wins and complete a clean sweep of their fixtures. The Pumas will pose a tough challenge, having won the last encounter between the two sides at Twickenham in 2022. But England manager Borthwick is confident that his side can get back on track if Lawrence recovers from his injury.
"We don't want to be a team that peaks and has one brilliant performance," said Dingwall, reflecting on the importance of consistency. "If you want to truly be the team we want to be, you've got to do it every single week." With Lawrence's fitness still in doubt, England will have to rely on their collective strength and determination to come out on top against Argentina.
England will head into their final autumn match against Argentina on Sunday with uncertainty surrounding the fitness of centre Ollie Lawrence, who limped off in the closing stages of their win over New Zealand. The 26-year-old player played a crucial role in the victory, scoring England's opening try and teeing up his centre partner Fraser Dingwall.
Lawrence has been in impressive form recently, battling back from an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia last summer. However, he was omitted from the side that defeated Australia earlier this month due to concerns about his fitness. Despite missing out, Lawrence has shown no signs of slowing down, impressing against Fiji and New Zealand.
With Lawrence's availability still in doubt, England manager Steve Borthwick will be breathing a sigh of relief if his centre can recover in time for the Argentina match. Borthwick was thrilled with the partnership between Lawrence and Dingwall, which blossomed in their win over the All Blacks. The duo's chemistry has raised hopes that they can become a solid partnership to take England into the next World Cup.
But Borthwick will also have to contend with the loss of Freddie Steward, who was withdrawn from the game against New Zealand due to a head injury. Steward's absence could be made worse if he is ruled out for the Argentina match, paving the way for Elliot Daly or Max Ojomoh to come in at full-back.
For England, winning all three autumn matches would be a significant achievement, with the team looking to make it 11 successive wins and complete a clean sweep of their fixtures. The Pumas will pose a tough challenge, having won the last encounter between the two sides at Twickenham in 2022. But England manager Borthwick is confident that his side can get back on track if Lawrence recovers from his injury.
"We don't want to be a team that peaks and has one brilliant performance," said Dingwall, reflecting on the importance of consistency. "If you want to truly be the team we want to be, you've got to do it every single week." With Lawrence's fitness still in doubt, England will have to rely on their collective strength and determination to come out on top against Argentina.