Among the hundreds of tattoos on Courtney Lawes’ body, the one that stands out most is a moth inked on his neck.
The same design is also on the former England captain’s new custom-made boots.
‘To me, the moth represents resilience but also the ability to change and adapt over time which is essentially what I’ve spent my career as a rugby player doing,’ Lawes tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘The metamorphosis of a moth represents change, being able to evolve and continuously grow.’
Lawes has lived out that mantra successfully. Now in his 19th season as a professional, he won 105 caps for his country and five with the Lions.
Still going strong at 37 with French side Brive, Lawes continues to adapt and evolve, seeking out improvements even though he is nearing the end of what has been a glittering career. Lawes’ moth analogy is also one which is apt for the current England team, one he left behind when he retired from international duty after the 2023 World Cup.
After what was statistically England’s worst Six Nations, it seems pretty clear Steve Borthwick’s class of 2026 needs to change, evolve and grow.
Among the hundreds of tattoos on Courtney Lawes’ body, the one that stands out most is a moth inked on his neck
Lawes, 37, won 105 caps with England and is now in his 19th season as a professional
A Championship of just one win, a fifth-place finish and the most tries and points Englad have ever conceded was, undoubtedly, not good enough for a team of their quality. Borthwick’s position as head coach has come under intense scrutiny.
Like many England fans, Lawes believes the national side must adapt their style of play, using the template of the impressive performance they produced in the thrilling 48-46 defeat by France as a way to achieve future success. ‘You do stick with Steve,’ Lawes says. ‘He’s a coach who does like the statistical side of rugby. He’s quite risk averse compared to other coaches.
‘But he does adapt and he can learn quickly. I hope that he will learn from the Six Nations and adopt a less risk-averse game plan. Rugby is changing and is becoming more attacking. Every nation is doing it now, even South Africa. I think the team can certainly chance its arm a lot more.’
Borthwick led England to 12 straight wins, using a kick-heavy approach. It brought rewards, but four straight losses to Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France saw the wheels fall off the English chariot in the Six Nations. ‘Disappointment was the biggest emotion,’ Lawes adds.
‘Going into the Six Nations there was a lot of expectation and the team was riding a wave. England can definitely still win the next World Cup. They’ve got the talent and all the potential in the world. We do need to start solidifying exactly what our best team is, so that we can get them as much experience as possible going into the World Cup. There’s really no substitute for that. It’s invaluable.’
Lawes believes a significant setback could be the making of England’s younger players such as Henry Pollock. ‘Generationally, it’s a different type of player that’s coming through now, especially in England,’ he says. ‘Our best players come from the private school system and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. They produce the best players as they have the best coaches and facilities.
‘It would be great to open that up and have more players from other backgrounds and a bigger base from which to pick.’
Lawes has admitted his disappointment with England’s Six Nations campaign, but insists they have what it takes to win the World Cup next year
He is in contract discussions over an extension with French second division side Brive, where he has settled with his family
In light of that context, the incredible success of Lawes’ alma mater, Northampton School for Boys, in being crowned national Under-18 champions last week was a significant boost for the overall health of the English game. Prior to their upsetting of the status quo, you had to go back to 2006 for the last time a non-fee paying establishment won the title.
‘This isn’t a dig, but a lot of the players coming through now know nothing but rugby,’ says Lawes. ‘It’s actually bigger than that. In this generation in England, it’s generally a pretty easy life for kids.
‘Unless you’re living in specific areas, you don’t have to overcome too much hardship. That does affect how you react to adversity when it happens to you.
‘I experienced hardship through my childhood and before I went into rugby. Ellis Genge, who is still in the team now, was the same. But there aren’t many others.
‘Being criticised for my rugby at times was actually to my detriment. Because I’d gone through hard times before, being criticised for playing sport didn’t bother me that much.
‘I wish it had more because it would have given me a kick up the a***. That’s what this England team needs. A lot of the younger players have had pretty smooth sailing in their lives and careers so far.
‘(They needed) to have a bit of a bump in the road which allows them to understand that maybe rugby isn’t always so easy. It can definitely help the team moving forwards.’
Lawes is keen for Ollie Chessum to stay at No 6 going forwards, with their next game a daunting Nations Championship opener with back-to-back World Cup winners South Africa in July.
More pressingly, he still has playing commitments of his own to consider. Lawes hopes to play one final year to round off his time in rugby at exactly two decades.
‘For a Northampton man like me to go and play for Leicester would have caused quite a ruckus,’ laughs Lawes (pictured at his Saints farewell in 2024)
‘I experienced hardship through my childhood and before I went into rugby… but there aren’t many others. A lot of the younger players have had pretty smooth sailing’
He is in contract discussions over an extension with French second division side Brive, where he has settled with his family, but did have conversations with Leicester over a return to England.
‘I’m looking to do one more season,’ he says. ‘I think I’m still performing at quite a high level, so I don’t really want to stop yet.
‘I’ve known Geoff Parling (Leicester head coach) for a long time. Ultimately, the offer wasn’t quite right. I won’t be playing for Leicester, but I appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.
‘For a Northampton man like me to go and play for Leicester would have caused quite a ruckus, I think! I’m still working things out with Brive. We’ll see what happens.
‘But if nothing feels right, then I’d also be happy to retire as well.’
Courtney Lawes is an ambassador for Oxen Sports and wears the OXEN Courtney Lawes Signature Metasock boot
