England call up Ollie Lawrence replacement ahead of Six Nations finale against Wales after Bath centre ruptured his Achilles against Italy
Max Ojomoh has been drafted into England’s 35-man squad ahead of their Six Nations finale to replace the injured Ollie Lawrence.
England’s powerhouse centre ruptured his Achilles in the eighth minute of the victory over Italy and is set to miss the remainder of the season.
Ojomoh has featured in previous squads under Steve Borthwick, although he is yet to make his Test debut.
Elliot Daly or Tommy Freeman remain the leading candidates to replace Lawrence in the No 13 jersey against Wales on Saturday.
Speaking about Lawrence’s injury, team-mate Fin Smith said: ‘There’s a sort of deeper level to it and when you see one of your best mates potentially losing the chance to go on a Lions tour and what was bound to be a massive year for him, it breaks your heart.
‘I think I was probably a bit too gutted on the pitch seeing that happen and it maybe rattled me for a few minutes.
Max Ojomoh has been drafted into England’s 35-man squad ahead of their Six Nations finale
Ollie Lawrence ruptured his Achilles in the eighth minute of the victory over Italy
England’s powerhouse centre is set to miss the remainder of the season due to the injury
‘I probably made a few mistakes off the back of it. 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’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.’
