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Bullitt
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Northampton Saints today announced that Courtney Lawes will be staying in the black, green and gold of his hometown club for the foreseeable future after signing a new contract with the Franklin's Gardens outfit.
The 20-year-old forward has had a meteoric rise since he burst into the Saints first team two years ago. After making three appearances in the team's promotion campaign from National League One, Lawes - who is equally comfortable on the flank or in the second row - came to the attention of national rugby watchers with a man of the match performance against Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup in October 2009.
By the end of the season he was being selected in one matchday 22 after another and being tipped as one of England's brightest prospects by many commentators.
After coming off the bench in the European Challenge Cup final, Lawes was a key member of the England Under-20 team that came second in the 2009 Junior World Championship, scoring two tries on the way to the final. He was the only member of that Under-20 group to be promoted to the Saxons squad in the summer, and following inclusion in the England Senior squad for the Autumn Internationals Lawes made his full international debut against Australia.
However it is with Northampton where Lawes made his name, and he had no thoughts about going anywhere else.
"I was always going to stay at the club," he said. "It's a good place to be at the moment in every way - the coaches are great, the lads are great and with how we're playing at the moment.
"It is also always good to play for your hometown club in front of your own fans and hopefully I will be for a long time to come."
Lawes also took time to contemplate his rise up the playing ranks.
"I do sometimes stop and think about how far I've come in a short time from schoolboy rugby to England," he added. "I've come on so much. But I'm not dazzled by it. I keep a level head and am concentrating on playing good rugby for the Saints."
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder is delighted that Lawes is remaining as a Saint.
"Courtney has developed very quickly into being a good rugby player," he said. "But he is still very young and we believe that there is more improvement still to come, both physically and in how he plays the game. He has spent a lot of time with Dorian West on developing as a player and he still wants to continue learning.
"Courtney has also come up the ranks of the club and he is someone who other young players in the Northampton area can aspire to follow, through the Academy into the first team squad and then England."
http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/3831_6414.php
The 20-year-old forward has had a meteoric rise since he burst into the Saints first team two years ago. After making three appearances in the team's promotion campaign from National League One, Lawes - who is equally comfortable on the flank or in the second row - came to the attention of national rugby watchers with a man of the match performance against Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup in October 2009.
By the end of the season he was being selected in one matchday 22 after another and being tipped as one of England's brightest prospects by many commentators.
After coming off the bench in the European Challenge Cup final, Lawes was a key member of the England Under-20 team that came second in the 2009 Junior World Championship, scoring two tries on the way to the final. He was the only member of that Under-20 group to be promoted to the Saxons squad in the summer, and following inclusion in the England Senior squad for the Autumn Internationals Lawes made his full international debut against Australia.
However it is with Northampton where Lawes made his name, and he had no thoughts about going anywhere else.
"I was always going to stay at the club," he said. "It's a good place to be at the moment in every way - the coaches are great, the lads are great and with how we're playing at the moment.
"It is also always good to play for your hometown club in front of your own fans and hopefully I will be for a long time to come."
Lawes also took time to contemplate his rise up the playing ranks.
"I do sometimes stop and think about how far I've come in a short time from schoolboy rugby to England," he added. "I've come on so much. But I'm not dazzled by it. I keep a level head and am concentrating on playing good rugby for the Saints."
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder is delighted that Lawes is remaining as a Saint.
"Courtney has developed very quickly into being a good rugby player," he said. "But he is still very young and we believe that there is more improvement still to come, both physically and in how he plays the game. He has spent a lot of time with Dorian West on developing as a player and he still wants to continue learning.
"Courtney has also come up the ranks of the club and he is someone who other young players in the Northampton area can aspire to follow, through the Academy into the first team squad and then England."
http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/3831_6414.php
