“I feel like I could have got there quite a while ago if I didn’t get injured so much, but I’m just really happy to have made it here and done it for England,” said Lawes, who made his debut against Australia in 2009.

“It’s been eight years, nearly, since my debut, so I have certainly done it the hard way. I have missed a fair few caps along the way.

“I pride myself on being physical. It is not for myself. It is certainly not for my shoulders. It is for the team and getting energy to the boys. I am not too fussed about who I hit, where I hit or how hard it is as long as I am doing my job.”