Wood hails impact on England of fit-again Saints team-mate Lawes

Lofty lock Lawes did a demolition job on Scotland last weekend, helping his country earn a crucial 25-13 win at Twickenham.

It was the Saints star’s first game in this season’s Six Nations, having recovered from ankle surgery.

And Wood, who also made his England return against Scotland after ankle trouble, was hugely impressed with Lawes’ inspirational showing.

“He’s an incredible athlete,” said the flanker, who will be aiming to help England claim the title with victory over France this Saturday.

“His impact in the game that he can make, particularly in defence, knocking people over, make him a real weapon.

“He’s an asset in the lineout and it’s huge when you’ve got someone of that athletic ability.

“It opens up space for others as well as winning crucial ball himself.

“We all know what he can do, levelling people in the tackle, and he’s incredibly mobile so he gets around the pitch and gets through a fair bit of work.

“He’s obviously adding a fair bit of ball carrying to his game and he’s a difficult man to stop.

“He’s huge for us at Saints when he’s on fire and he’s brought that form to England, which is great for the team.”