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Courtney Lawes' 52-minute Pro D2 debut ends with a win for Brive
By Liam Heagney
Former England skipper Courtney Lawes has enjoyed a winning start with Brive on his Pro D2 debut in France. The 35-year-old joined the second-tier side on a two-year deal from Northampton, whom he led to Gallagher Premiership title glory in his final match on June 8.
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Saints don’t open their title defence until a September 20 visit to Bath, the rivals they defeated at Twickenham in the 10-team English league, but life in the 16-team division across the Channel saw Lawes head into action following a much shorter summer break.
Brive hosted promotion rivals Oyonnax in their opener and in front of a 12,766 attendance at Stade Amedee-Domenech, they took the spoils with an 18-9 win. Ahead 11-3 at the break, the score had tightened to 11-9 when Lawes was one of five players replaced at the same time 12 minutes into the second half.
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That wholesale change helped to re-energise the hosts and they clinched the win with a 62-minute converted try when Mathis Ferte set up his France U20s colleague Leo Carbonneau to score. Before the round one encounter, Lawes gave a pre-game interview about his move to France and outlined his hopes for the season. “We have got a lot of work to do this season but we are taking steps in the right direction,” he said.
“We have got a really good group of lads as a team, we have got really good back room staff and coaching staff, the facilities are great. We have everything we need to become the team we want to become. It’s just about always taking forward steps, don’t get deterred. It won’t always be perfect but as long as we continue on that path to where we want to be then that is the goal.
#PROD2 – La connexion de la J1
Tout est à jour au @CABCLRUGBY ?
La connexion Carbonneau-Ferté semble bien fonctionner ? pic.twitter.com/Hl80joVeXh— Rugby PRO D2 (@rugbyprod2) August 30, 2024
“I don’t feel nervous at the minute. I played last week against Racing, so that was my initiation as such, and I feel excited to get stuck into this game. I don’t know exactly what the Pro D2 is like but I am looking forward to getting out there and finding out. It’s a bit of give and take [leadership] at the minute because I understand things are done slightly differently out here than what I am used to.
“It’s not about coming into the group and imposing what I know. It’s about understanding why and what the group does and what it needs and if I can add to that and if I can improve on that then you can try and do that. It’s not about coming in and trying to change everything. It’s more trying to give what you can and learn as well and then try and determine what will be of benefit to the team.
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“I am pretty vocal but at the minute I trying to sit back and take in as much information as possible, understand what it is we want to be as a team and then as the season goes on I’ll build into my role as a leader once I know for certain what I can add to the team.”
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Pour patienter jusqu'au coup d'envoi, retrouvez ???????? ?????, ???? ??????????, ????? ????? et ????? ????????????? en conférence de presse
???? pic.twitter.com/hPKXSeZKLw— CA Brive Rugby (@CABCLRUGBY) August 29, 2024
