Ollie Lawrence urges England to pay back fans against South Africa

Ollie Lawrence has urged his England teammates to pay back their fans for their vocal support when they take to the field against South Africa.

The Bromsgrove-born former Worcester Warrior hailed the backing of supporters at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham throughout their 2024 campaign, despite opening the Autumn Nations Series with defeats to New Zealand and Australia.

Their next challenge is against back-to-back world champions the Springboks, their first clash since the narrow and nail-biting one-point loss in the World Cup semi-final in Paris last November.

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Lawrence said: “It’s (the Allianz Stadium atmosphere) been amazing ever since the back end of the Six Nations and that Ireland game.

“Running out in front of 80,000 people, it’s been pumping.

“Although we haven’t had the results we wanted over the last few weeks, we really appreciate the support and everything everyone is doing here to make it a really special place to be.”

The centre emphasised the importance of the upcoming match, especially after their recent losses.

He added: “You’re going against the number one team in the world, you have to rise to the occasion.

“Off the back of the last two results, this one is even more important for us.”

England’s recent losses were close calls, with New Zealand edging them out in the opening game of November by the width of a post in a 24-22 defeat, and Australia clinching a 42-37 win with Max Jorgensen’s try in the dying moments of the match.

Reflecting on the defeats, Lawrence said: “Moving on from each game is sometimes difficult.

“You can hold onto it a bit too long.

“But with a short turnaround, you’ve got to review it, forget it and move onto the next challenge.”

Lawrence, who will start at outside centre on Saturday, acknowledged the need for the team to manage the final stages of games better, not just for themselves, but for the fans who have steadfastly supported them.

He said: “Hopefully this weekend we can right some wrongs, going up against a team that we lost to in the semi-final of the World Cup.

“Hopefully this time we can create a special memory, especially for all these fans who have supported us and been loyal over the last few weeks.”

Kick off at the Allianz Stadium as England and South Africa do battle will be at 5.40pm.