Lawes reveals extent of Béziers interest and explains why he wanted to stay at Saints

Courtney Lawes has revealed Béziers did speak to his agent about taking him to France.
Courtney Lawes is staying at SaintsCourtney Lawes is staying at Saints
Courtney Lawes is staying at Saints

But the England star says staying at Saints was always his first option.

Lawes was one of 19 players to agree a new deal at Franklin's Gardens last week, extending a contract that was due to run until 2021.

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Reports from France suggested the 31-year-old could be tempted across the Channel by PRO D2 club Béziers, who are expected to spend big following a change of ownership.

But Lawes has signed on again at Saints, continuing as a one-club man at Northampton, where he emerged from the Academy.

“My first option was always to stay at Northampton, but your career only lasts a certain time and you have to make your money while you can,” Lawes told the Guardian.

“Rugby is not like football. When my career is over, I will not be able to retire. I will have to find work and that means making sure you get what you are worth now.

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"I was linked with Béziers but I did not hear much from them. They did speak to my agent but I think they were just making a bit of noise.

"It was never really an option and I am glad to be staying at Northampton. I want to remain involved with England and think I can make it to the next World Cup.”

Lawes has racked up a whopping 231 appearances for Saints while winning 85 caps for England.

And though there have been recent pay cuts across the board at the Gardens with clubs battling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, he was happy to stay in Northampton.

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“I know I am in a more fortunate position than most of the other lads but it has been a tough time,” Lawes said.

“I tried to keep my head down during lockdown but there was a lot of stuff going on in terms of contracts and we had several Zoom meetings.

“As a player, if you are on a set amount of money for a fixed period of time, you live your life by that, such as getting a mortgage based on what you are earning. If you take a big hit, it can affect you.

"Northampton were open and honest about it, sharing financial information so we could see we were not being taken advantage of. That helped ease the transition into what it is now.”

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Saints are set to move into Stage 2 training from Monday, which allows the resumption of close contact work where small groups will be able to interact much closer to one another.

Saints have been in Stage 1 since returning to the Gardens on June 15.

And Lawes said: “We have been in groups of eight and it has been like pre-season.

“I have enjoyed spending extra time with the family but I am looking forward to a bit of contact in training and playing again.

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“We have the ability to make the Premiership final, a young team with great potential, but we will have to hit the ground running.”

Saints currently sit fourth in the Premiership with nine games of the regular season remaining.

They also have a Champions Cup quarter-final at Exeter Chiefs to look forward to in September, all being well.

And Lawes will be key to aspirations at home and abroad as he looks to lead by example once again.

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“I have always been a quick learner and my game is different now, more about reading a game and making good decisions,” Lawes said.

“I am experienced for my age and look to bring that to the team, but I am too laid back to be a captain.

"You have to be on it all the time, and while I am on the pitch, off it I am pretty chilled and do not like to stress too much.

"I am happy to lead by example.”

Lawes helped England to reach the World Cup final in Japan last year.

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And reflecting on that experience, he said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the World Cup.

“Japan is some country and the people there were lovely.

"We played some brilliant rugby and that a young team represented itself really well.

"We played Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in consecutive weeks at the end and the final was one of those games which did not go our way.

“South Africa were the better side on the day and had the edge over us mentally. Why, I do not know.

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"We prepared as best we could, but it was tough backing up three massive games in a row.

"If you are off in a World Cup final by even a tiny bit, it shows: fair play to them, they executed a great strategy and deserved to win.

"We will be the wiser for the experience in 2023.

“The defeat to France taught us a lot. They tend to be underestimated because they are an up-and-down team.

"When they are home and on it, they are one of the toughest sides to beat.

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"They have such quality and athletes, stuffed full of individuals who are game-breakers.

"They were better than us and we had to take it on the chin.

"I think the loss was good for us: it showed that when things do not go our way we have to adapt, not carry on with the same game plan.”