Courtney Lawes could make a remarkable return to the England squad for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, according to his future Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson.
Lawes, who retired from international duty after the 2023 tournament, has agreed to join Sale next season from French club Brive. The 37-year-old flanker, a veteran of 105 England caps and two British & Irish Lions tours, would be targeting an unprecedented fifth World Cup appearance if selected.
Sanderson expressed strong confidence in Lawes's ability to compete at the highest level again.
"We can get him to a World Cup in great form, in good shape," Sanderson stated. "We can give him a platform, with the pack that we've got and the players we've recruited, to put the best of himself back into the Premiership. I know there's been talk about his age, but if you've looked at how many games he's played, he's clearly extremely robust. He's playing some of his best rugby, so there's no reason why, given his ambition and physical condition, that he can't get to a World Cup in great shape."
Lawes is part of a significant recruitment drive at Sale, with the club also bringing in former England internationals Joe Marchant and Alex Lozowski, as well as Wales props Nicky Smith and Tomas Francis.
With Sale's Champions Cup run ended by Leinster last weekend and the team unlikely to reach the Premiership playoffs, Sanderson is focusing on personal motivations to drive his squad through their final six matches. This includes a highly anticipated home clash against Saracens this Sunday.
The fixture carries extra significance for Sanderson, who spent 17 years with Saracens as a player and coach, and for a squad still stinging from a 65-14 defeat in October—a result Saracens celebrated with a social media video taunt.
"I manage to find beef with everyone," Sanderson remarked. "I'm still hurting from the result down there. We got stuffed and then got our faces rubbed in it from their side, so that still stings for me. There's a little bit of dented pride to sort out."
He emphasized the importance of finishing the season strongly for the departing players and testing the squad's deeper motivations.
"The end of this campaign is important. It tests the mettle of your more deep-seated motivators—how much the lads mean to each other. We want to see out some of the lads who are leaving in the right style. I want to make that feel special because the lads that are leaving do matter to me."