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England newcomer insists comparisons to the injured centre will not be a burden as he looks to fill the void in the Six Nations
When Ollie Lawrence was young – and he is still only 21 – there was one England rugby player who captured his imagination. As a strongly built centre growing up in the Midlands, he looked at Manu Tuilagi and instinctively decided he would play the same way. Now here he is, waiting to kick off a Six Nations Championship in place of his injured idol.
It is both a massive opportunity and, potentially, an even more daunting challenge. There is only one Manu and simply trying to impersonate your childhood hero is a surefire route to top-level underachievement. As any old pro will testify, the smarter option is to be the best version of yourself rather than vainly seeking to become somebody you can never be.