2025-09-27 11:30:37
Ollie Lawrence has insisted he felt no “resentment” at missing out on international duty this summer.
The Bath centre was ruled out for several months after rupturing his Achilles tendon earlier this year, which meant he couldn’t be called up for either England or the British and Irish Lions, but he wasn’t “angry” about missing the Six Nations or the tour of Australia.
He told Telegraph Sport: “There wasn’t one part of me that felt any anger, envy or frustration at anything that happened throughout the summer.
“I just wanted [England] to do well. We are on a journey as a team, which we have been for the last few years, and we started to build momentum during the Six Nations and I was just buzzing to see the boys take it into the summer. Hopefully, we can do the same in the autumn.
“And the Lions was fine, really. For me, the dream was always to go on the tour and I felt like I had worked hard and did everything I could to put myself in a position and then it was taken away from me through injury. That’s just life.
“These things happen and it’s about how you bounce back from them. Luckily, I had loads of friends in that Lions squad so I could support them. I just wanted them to do well.”
The 26-year-old sportsman couldn’t see a reason to get “upset” about missing the games because there had been no possibility of him being picked and he needed to focus on his recovery.
He added: “I was watching as a fan. There was not much of me thinking: ‘I wish I was there.’ I didn’t get upset or emotional about watching their games because I was never able to be part of it. I wasn’t fit. I had so much going on in the summer and a lot – if not all – of my focus was on my Achilles and getting back fit.
“A lot of people asked me how I felt watching the games. There was nothing I could have done to be there – I was injured – so I was fine.”
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