Opinion: Ollie Lawrence steps out of Manu Tuilagi’s ‘shadow’ to down the All Blacks 13 years after his predecessor did the same
England centres Ollie Lawrence and Manu Tuilagi.
Ollie Lawrence chose the fixture that made Manu Tuilagi to step out of his shadow with a performance that evoked memories of the England great’s finest hour.
The Bath man had spent a 36-cap career likened to the wrecking ball midfielder but denied a similar billing because he lacked a standout performance to compare with what Tuilagi so famously did to New Zealand in 2012.
Lawrence’s breakout
Saturday night at Twickenham changed all that. England not only beat the All Blacks for the first time since Manu’s match 13 years ago, but they did so on the back of their hard-running, try-scoring centre.
Television made George Ford player of the match, which was fair enough given his assured and, ultimately, match-winning response to missing two kicks to win the game a year ago. He managed the game beautifully as England rallied from 12-0 down to win 33-19.
But the power to go with Ford’s finesse, the brawn to accompany the fly-half’s brain, was brought by Lawrence, ending a year in which he spent six months from February nursing a ruptured Achilles.
On the very pitch he sustained the injury, against Italy in the Six Nations, which ruled him out of the run-in to Bath’s treble-winning season, the 26-year-old Brummie made himself a memory to last a lifetime.
He scored a pile-driver of a try to get England back into the contest, skittling defenders like ten pins on his way to the line. He then displayed soft hands and exquisite timing to put Fraser Dingwall in for the try, which killed off the contest.
“Ollie Lawrence is the man!” Former England star Andy Goode tweeted after the final whistle blew on England’s 10th consecutive victory. “Ridiculous talent, skill set and power!”
It has taken him a while to reach this point with England. There have been injuries, but also decisions by coaches have gone against him, most recently preferring a wing (Tommy Freeman). There has been the nagging thought, amongst some, that Lawrence is just not Tuilagi.
Well, you can bin that now for good. On a rip-roaring evening at Allianz Stadium, he gave a performance Manu would have been proud to call his own. For it to be against the All Blacks was the cherry on the cake.
Putting the ghosts of 2024 to bed
This was England’s third win in 22 years against the men in black, the first time since 2012 they clasped hands on the Hillary Shield and the first time in more than half a century they had come from behind at half-time to beat this opposition.
By the end, Ford had the ball on a string. His two first-half drop goals set the tone, the way he managed the game thereafter – a treat for a nation desperate for this most likeable of playmakers to succeed.
“I didn’t think about last year, I just wanted to do my job as well as I could for the team,” he said. “I will always believe in myself and I do believe I’m getting better.”
It did not look so clever early on as England turned up without a working lineout and with a defence so narrow the visitors could not believe their good fortune. After 17 minutes, New Zealand led 12-0.
To salt English wounds further the first Kiwi try came from a man named after their ground. Leicester Twickenham Fainga’anuku was born while dad Ta’u was helping Tonga beat Italy at Welford Road in the 1999 World Cup.
Fainga’anuku jnr arrived the next day and in honour of the victory, got not only the city in which the match was played but the home of rugby on his birth certificate. How he will have enjoyed powering under Sam Underhill and Jamie George for the opening score.
England’s response was poor, Ford restarting straight into touch. New Zealand regained possession, Scott Barrett won a lineout, Will Jordan purred into the line to stretch England one way, then the ball was flashed back the other way for Codie Taylor to wrong-foot Alex Mitchell and score.
England were rattled. They lost Freddie Steward to a mouthguard HIA, which he failed, then a third lineout on their own throw. It needed someone to take them in hand. Ford was that man.
As Guy Pepper received attention for a neck injury, the fly-half called his team into a huddle and rebooted minds with clear instructions, sharply delivered. At the next scrum Ford slipped the ball to Lawrence, the centre blasted through first Leroy Carter then Beauden Barrett to the line.
Few knew at the time, but it was a tide-turning moment. Ford was one to clock it and made it his personal business to hammer home the point. His two drop goals to end the half did more than reduce the deficit to a single point, they changed the complexion of the game.
When New Zealand reappeared, they had lost their swagger of earlier. Taylor was harshly sin-binned, but even without that, there was now a certainty about England. From a lineout, Mitchell sniped to the line, the ball came back, and Underhill scored.
Ford converted and then thought he had a try after pouncing on a loose ball when Beauden Barrett stripped Earl. It was chalked off for an earlier offside but no matter, he slotted a cross-field 50-22 and from the lineout Lawrence put Dingwall in under the sticks quite beautifully.
Up in the stands, attack coach Lee Blackett punched the air. His first go at the All Blacks and his side had three tries inside an hour, which became four after England weathered 10 minutes with Earl in the sin bin for the loss of only a Jordan try.
Scott Robertson’s side threw the ball to ground in their own backfield, Henry Pollock beat Damian McKenzie to hack it on and Roebuck finished the job.
The final whistle blew, and before captain Maro Itoje could take delivery of the Hillary Shield, an over-excited Pollock leapt into his arms. It was that sort of night.
