Ollie Lawrence faces a race against time to be fit for the Lions tour this summer after suffering an Achilles injury in England’s win over Italy. Bath centre Lawrence was taken off on a buggy after eight minutes of Sunday’s 47-24 victory at Twickenham.
The 25-year-old fell in heap, with no one around him, and will have scans this week but is definitely out of England’s Six Nations finale against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday. Fly-half Fin Smith, a former teammate of Lawrence’s at Worcester, said: “When you see one of your best mates potentially losing the chance to go on a Lions tour it breaks your heart.
“We’re all absolutely devastated for him. I’ve got everything crossed that the scans say it’s not too bad but it is not looking brilliant. He is absolutely devastated.
“We have just got to get around him. I think as team mates, we’ve got to be good friends to him now and look out for him because it is going to be a tough time for him.”
Head coach Steve Borthwick added: “It looks like it could be a real tough injury but I am hesitant to say exactly without any detailed assessment of it in terms of the scans.
“We’ll know more in the next 48 hours. Fingers crossed it is not as severe as we fear it might be.”
Lions boss Andy Farrell is set to name his squad in early May leaving Lawrence short of time to get back.
England shifted full-back Elliot Daly to centre when Lawrence went off but wing Tommy Freeman could also move their for the Wales clash.
Borthwick also has Harlequins’ Oscar Beard and Exeter’s Henry Slade, who was dropped from the 23 for the Italy game, in camp.
England can still win the Six Nations but need a win in Wales and for France to slip up against in Paris next Saturday.
Skipper Maro Itoje said: “Wales versus England is a humungous fixture, I know all of Wales will be crammed in the Principality.”
