Courtney Lawes has set himself the target of delivering performances like his impactful showing against Wales last weekend on a regular basis on order to become “one of the best second rows in the world” after being given an ultimatum by Eddie Jones.

The England head coach took over the role with Lawes fading out of the side, with both George Kruis and Joe Launchbury ahead of him in the second-row pecking order and the rapidly emerging Maro Itoje quickly passing him too.

Having broken onto the international stage eight years ago at the age of 20, Lawes soon forged a reputation for being England’s hard-hitting enforced, with his bone-crunching tackles leaving many a man in a heap on the turf. However, with this came a drop-off in his work rate with the ball in hand, and Jones was quick to point out his flaws before conveying that message to the Northampton Saints lock in no uncertain terms.

“It was Eddie who pointed it out,” Lawes said at England’s London base in Kensington, home for the 25-man squad during the first off-week of this year’s Six Nations. “I used to carry a lot more when I was younger, then I kind of went away from it. Eddie pointed out that that is what he wanted me to do. I had a choice; carry on doing what I was doing and probably not play for England again, or develop my game, again – back to what it was.

“It was very good for me. I needed to push myself more and that’s what he made me do so it’s been much better for my game. It means that I don’t have to rely on a big defensive performance to have played well. Of course I have to make sure the basics are in good order too: that my rucking is good, my lineout I’ve been working hard on.

“I know now that is what he wants from me. I wasn’t in the place I needed to be when I first met him. And, now, hopefully I’m getting there.”

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Lawes is one of eight players in the current squad to have played under the reigns of Martin Johnson, Stuart Lancaster and now Jones, but few were as impactful as the 6 ft 7 in lock during the early years under England’s Rugby World Cup-winning captain. The problem for Lawes is that he failed to build on his promising start as the thumping tackles took their toll on his body, and despite making his debut before both Dan Cole and Ben Youngs, he trails them in the international caps department.

“My career did start well and I had some highs, but then got knocked down a couple of pegs for whatever reason, injury or whatever, then not finding my form,” Lawes admitted. “I’m trying to stay fit and get better.”

Wales vs England player ratings Show all 31 1 /31 Wales vs England player ratings Wales vs England player ratings 15. Leigh Halfpenny - 7 Missed one chance, but such was his kicking that it built the Welsh lead early on. Incredibly reliable under the high ball Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 14. Alex Cuthbert - 6 If ever there was a sensible yellow card, Cuthbert earned it. His tackle stopped Haskell when everyone the red side of the Severn thought a try was on. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 13. Jonathan Davies - 5 Very quiet and struggled to see any ball in hand. Went large phases without having any impact. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 12. Jamie Roberts - 7 Had two charging runs that England did well to stop, and his defence was very solid when under pressure. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 11. George North - 6 Forced off for a concussion test and starved of the ball, he never seemed to recover from the blow to the head. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 10. Dan Biggar - 6 Drop-goal on half-time appeared to the game away from England, but faded in the second half and wale suffered as a result. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 9. Rhys Webb - 7 On hand to finish Wales’ opening try and sniped around the edge, but England did well to keep him shackled. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 1. Gethin Jenkins - 5 Brought off for Paul James having struggled in the scrum and was very much second best to Dan Cole. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 2. Richard Hibbard - 5 His ball at the lineout was below-par and it wasn’t his finest day at the office. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 3. Samson Lee - 6 Recovered well after early pressure in the scrum, but picked up an injury in the second half to end his day early. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 4. Jake Ball - 6 Struggled to cope with his opposite number and didn’t have the influence on the game that he’s come to enjoy in recent outings. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 5. Alun Wyn Jones - 6 Looked to be under pressure in both the lineout and the scrum, and his form deserted him in the second period when Wales needed him most. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 6. Dan Lydiate - 6 Gave away a crucial penalty in the second half as England built momentum, but his tackling was as reliable as ever. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 7. Sam Warburton - 6 Faded in the second half and was earmarked by England’s defence whenever he got the ball in hand. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 8. Taulupe Faletau - 7 Beautiful offload after beating Haskell set-up Webb’s try, but gave away the penalty that allowed Ford to secure the victory. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 15. Mike Brown - 7 Deft chip set-up Watson’s try, and was a constant threat whenever he got the ball. Kick to the 5m allowed England to camp on the Welsh line late on. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 14. Anthony Watson - 7 Out-gassed Halfpenny to score and drag England back into the game, a strong showing in the air too. No as prevalent in the second half though. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 13. Jonathan Joseph - 8 Moment of inspiration after the restart saw him beat three defenders to score, and can be proud of his Millennium debut. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 12. Luther Burrell - 8 Didn’t give Roberts and Davies a moments rest and showed his rugby brain with intelligent runs, and was one of the standout performers. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 11. Jonny May - 6 Stepped inside to give Webb room to score, and did little with the ball when the opportunity arose. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 10. George Ford - 8 Charged down twice in the first-half but passing was strong, missed an early second-half penalty to put England ahead, but more than made up for it with his match-winning penalties. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 9. Ben Youngs - 8 Led the England revival and his passing was nothing short of exemplary. Surprising to see him replaced midway through the second half. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 1. Joe Marler - 6 Carried well which is often a criticism of his game. Departed for Mako Vunipola after 54 minutes despite dominance in the scrum. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 2. Dylan Hartley - 5 Unusually wayward with his lineout ball and taken off after 54 minutes for Tom Youngs as a result. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 3. Dan Cole - 7 his lack of game time, Cole’s performance was outstanding, and a turnover on his own 22 when under pressure defined his strong showing. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 4. Dave Attwood - 7 Marshalled the defence very well and helped his rapidly growing reputation. One error came when he picked the ball up in a ruck. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 5. George Kruis - 8 His first England start? You wouldn’t know it, as he commanded the lineout superbly and really stood out in the battle of the packs. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 6. James Haskell - 6 At fault for the opening try with his missed tackle on Faletau, and managed to spurn the chance to score a try when it looked nailed on. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 7. Chris Robshaw - 7 Struggled in the lineout early but recovered well. As usual, led by example in defence, and importantly got Jerome Garces on his side early on. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings 8. Billy Vunipola - 7 Targeted by the Welsh defence but coped very well and never took a backwards step. As players tired his pinch tackle flourished. Getty Images Wales vs England player ratings Best off the bench: Tom Youngs - 7 Did what Hartley couldn’t in the lineout and could be in contention to start next week. GETTY IMAGES

Ahead of his 28th birthday next Thursday, Lawes believes he’s finally in the best conditioning of his life, and feels that despite improving his game to take a leading role in the 21-16 victory over Wales last weekend, he can up his game even further.

“I’m playing the best since Saints won the title against Saracens [in 2014]. I don’t think I’m done here yet either. I really want to see where my potential can take me and find where that limit is,” he adds.

Lawes has gone about improving his carrying, rucking and lineout work (Getty)

“There was a lot less competition for places when I first started playing. But that being said, I realise that I just want to see how good I can be, see where I can go. Whether that be here – maybe I'm at my limit – or one of the best second rows in the world. Who knows? I want to find out. That's the main thing.

“You can't be the best player in the world for a game and think you're the best player in the world. You've got to be good. I've got to be a good player for a long time. That's the goal.

Lawes wants to unlock his own potential to see how far he can go towards being the best lock in the world (Getty)