England v Argentina: Courtney Lawes relishing lineout responsibility

Courtney Lawes is certain he can make the job of lineout caller his own despite admitting England must improve on their performance against Australia to complete an autumn clean sweep.

With Leicester Tigers lock Geoff Parling ruled out of England’s opening international of the season, Lawes took on the responsibility at the lineout in the 20-13 victory over the Wallabies.

Parling is expected to be fit this weekend but Lawes could still continue in the role, partnering Joe Launchbury in the Red Rose second row against Argentina and then New Zealand.

And while the battle for the No.4 and No.5 shirts looks set to run all the way to this year’s Six Nations, Lawes believes both he and England have more to show.

“I felt I played a solid game, making a lot of tackles and some decent carries,” said Lawes. “The more I play, the more I get used to the system and the easier it will get.

“It can be tough when you are thinking about the line-out more than if you weren’t doing the calling. But I seem to be pretty good at not letting it affect my general game.

“It’s a big responsibility, with the whole line-out revolving around you and having to make the right calls. I started a bit shakily and we were a bit nervous. But we certainly sharpened up.”