Bath centre Ollie Lawrence is crowned as the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season
Bathing center Ollie Lawrence is crowned Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season following a rollercoaster campaign… after the England star turned his plight into a stunning resurgence
- Ollie Lawrence won the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season award
- The 23-year-old started the campaign in financial turmoil with Worcester
- But he has maintained his brilliant form since joining Bath on an initial loan deal
England center Ollie Lawrence capped off an astonishing rollercoaster season by being crowned Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season in a glittering ceremony in central London on Wednesday night.
The 23-year-old began the campaign in Worcester, where he was caught up in the financial turmoil that culminated in the Warriors’ collapse and left Lawrence unemployed. From the depths of a predicament, however, came a stunning resurgence.
After initially being loaned out to Bath, Lawrence agreed to a full contract and responded with a stunning spell of explosive form. He wasn’t part of New England head coach Steve Borthwick’s first Red Rose training squad, but after being called up as injury cover, he hasn’t looked back.
A role on the bench in the Championship opener against Scotland was followed by a starting spot in the clash with Italy and a superb man-of-the-match performance at Twickenham. He then scored a decisive late try in the victory over Wales in Cardiff and, despite missing the final round trip to Dublin through injury, had made a solid recovery at Test level.
Since returning to action for Bath, he has picked up where he left off on his way to the well-deserved trophy last night. He won the top prize ahead of England captain Owen Farrell, as well as Robert du Preez of Sale Sharks and Jasper Wiese of Leicester.
Bathing center Ollie Lawrence has been named Player of the Year in the Gallagher Premiership
The 23-year-old has shined since arriving at Bath, having left Worcester Warriors at the start of the season due to the club’s financial problems.
The ‘breakthrough’ award for leading young player of the season went to London Irish flanker Tom Pearson – who excelled during the Exiles’ best league campaign since 2009, to put himself firmly on Borthwick’s radar ahead of summer training ahead to the World Cup. struggling. He defeated Seb Atkinson (Gloucester), Fin Smith (Northampton) and Gus Warr (Sale).
Saracens’ Mark McCall claimed director of rugby gong for Alex Sanderson, Richard Wigglesworth and Phil Dowson – the men in charge respectively of Sale, Leicester and Northampton, the other Premiership semi-finalists.
Try of the Season went to Mateo Carreras, Newcastle’s Argentinian winger, for his slaloming, searing long-range strike against the Saints.
Also recognized at dinner last night were top division top scorer London Irish fly-half Paddy Jackson; leading scorer, Cadan Murley of Harlequins; and Community Player of the Year, Sean Maitland of the Saracens.