Before the emergence of Tom Curry and Sam Underhill some six years ago, England did a bustling trade in six-and-a-halfs; bruising, industrious back-rowers who were not considered cunning or mobile enough to be labeled 'real opensides'.
Chris Robshaw and James Haskell famously leaned into the story. The gray flankers unveiled specially printed white jerseys with that number after sealing the 2016 Grand Slam in Paris. These days it seems like "12-and-a-half" is all the rage. Or rather, they puzzle Steve Borthwick.
Ollie Lawrence endured a particularly tough evening as England suffered defeat in Scotland. Returning from a hip problem for his first match in a month, and making his first Test start since Chile were overwhelmed in Lille last year, the 24-year-old struggled to assert himself. His late pass past Ben Earl and into touch was held up as a defining snapshot of England's poor handling and collective uncertainty in attack:
The contrast in chemistry between the two Calcutta Cup center partnerships was palpable and crystallized in Scotland's first try, when Sione Tuipulotu sent Huw Jones past Lawrence and Henry Slade. But there is also an argument that England will not develop cohesion there unless they stick to the status quo in midfield.
This makes it more important that Lawrence, a gifted player with enviable assets, is used in a way that suits those attributes. And Bath's performance this season should be the template.
Lawrence's club have aimed to position Lawrence outside the 12 channel with players moving around him in an attempt to create a one-on-one. Courtesy of Stats Perform, this is a map of Lawrence's carries for Bath this season. His influence in the 15-meter channels is clear:
Against Bristol Bears in November, this lineout was a perfect example of using accurate running angles and crisp passing to deceive the defense and give space to Lawrence. Underhill's pass allows Ben Spencer to run flat as Cameron Redpath threatens, before a cutback to Finn Russell opens the field. Lawrence can cut his flyside's shoulder into space:
The story continues
A month later, when Ulster came to The Rec, Russell's miss-pass sent Lawrence to an outside arc - known as an 'overs' line. He fended off Jake Flannery before fixing Mike Lowry and sending a load to Joe Cokanasiga:
It is understood that England had asked for Lawrence to play in center Bath at Toulouse, and there was this direct, try-scoring carry from a close range lineout:
Overall, though, Bath have tried to ensure Lawrence doesn't get caught in heavy traffic. They do have the space for that, with burly porters in the back row, such as Alfie Barbeary. Redpath and Max Ojomoh, the latter of whom had some nice touches for England A against Portugal this weekend, can split in the centers but also pose a constant threat. Bath also has Russell. His buzzy distribution tends to improve a team's offense.
Here is Lawrence's scant map of carries against Scotland at the weekend:
In some ways, he had to live off scraps, picking up loose balls or connecting with teammates as the game became increasingly disrupted. When he shot off Ford's shoulder and when he was launched from the first stage into the 12th channel, Scotland stopped him.
The good news, to Richard Wigglesworth's credit, is that there were indications - albeit weak ones - that England would try to place Lawrence in similar positions to those he occupied at Bath. For George Furbank's try, Lawrence serves as a conventional inside center. He attacks Earl's right shoulder and helps keep Russell close to the scrum. This reduces Scotland's defense as the move is launched:
Later England had a lineout pattern but replaced Earl for a running center from Slade's shoulder. George Ford and Elliot Daly run after him. Lawrence is posted more broadly:
It is no different to Bath's action against Bristol, with Slade acting as an inside centre. However, England does not get beyond the first obstacle. Slade looks to try to retreat behind Earl to Ford but the ball is spilled. Earl might be too tight for the starting receiver.
Russell was also fixed here, so imagine the pass going to Ford with Daly on the arc. Lawrence would have gotten a one-on-one:
Ironically, Lawrence was also in a decent position when Furbank dropped Ford's pass, leading to Duhan van der Merwe's second try. Furbank and Slade get in each other's way as they circle Ford:
Again, if the pass had been at hand after this, England would have let Earl and Lawrence plunder the 50-foot canal.
Later, on the brink of half-time, Ford sends Lawrence over the gain line with a cut-away pass across Slade's face allowing the target to run onto a weak shoulder. England generate momentum and fast ball, fleeting:
Borthwick specifically praised Lawrence's outside break during a press session in January and there are indications that England are trying to harness that quality before they are derailed by their own mistakes.
He would be helped by the presence of more key carries, both in the forwards and in the backline, to divert the attention of the defenders. In the future we could see a partnership between Ojomoh and Lawrence for all Bath centres. For now, Slade's familiarity with blitz defense feels important.
Ominously for England, Ireland is next. Lawrence faced a center partnership of Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw three years ago. That day he started outside the centre, past Ford and Owen Farrell, and was a peripheral figure.
If Lawrence is selected on March 9, he will need to deliver a confident and influential performance for England to cause any trouble for Ireland. And that requires the team to play to its strengths.
