Lawes made his full England debut against Australia in the autumn

Northampton Saints lock forward Courtney Lawes wants to improve on being "fourth choice" for England.

The 21-year-old replaced Louis Deacon in the 15-15 draw with Scotland in his only Six Nations appearance.

Lawes told BBC Radio Northampton: "It was good to get time to show what I could do.

"[The England coaches] want me to keep going, to stay fit. I think I'm fourth choice behind Louis Deacon, so I need to get in front of him to get a start."

Lawes does not believe his versatility - he is as effective playing in the back row as in the second row - is hampering his chances of holding down a regular starting place for England.

"Other than in the set scrum I don't think the positions are massively different, to be honest. I usually prefer the back row, because you get to make an extra tackle or two or a big carry.

"But I'm not fussed where I play. Your performance on the pitch, whatever position you're in, should count. If I'm playing well, I'd like to be in the team."

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