England internationals Jimmy Anderson and Courtney Lawes talk to Sky Sports about the defining moments of their careers
Tuesday 7 May 2019 10:29, UK
Two of England’s most successful sportsmen tell us about defining moments of their careers, reveal more about their characters and describe the moments that made them who they are today.
James 'Jimmy' Anderson is England's all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket with 575 scalps over 148 games - the fourth most in the history of the sport.
But, after bursting onto the scene in 2003, poor form and injuries - as a result of constant tinkering with his bowling action - saw him frozen out of the England side during the famous 2005 Ashes win and it wasn't until 2007 that Anderson began to be a settled member of the side.
Speaking as part of Jacamo's #OwnYourMoment campaign, Anderson emphasised hard work and resilience as central to his success.
"When things are not going your way, you've just got to have that self-belief that it will change," said Anderson. "Generally, if you've had a bad day, there's nothing you can do about that - you can't go back and change it - and so you've just got to try and analyse it as best you can, see what you can do better, and then come back the next day to try and put it right.
"Coming back from an injury can be the hardest part of being a sportsman. It's part and parcel of the sport, but it's all about coming back stronger - both mentally and physically."
After missing 41 of England's 57 Test matches between his Test debut in May 2003 and re-emergence in the summer of 2007, Anderson has played in 132 of the 149 England Test matches over the next 12 years.
During that time, Anderson became only the fourth England fast bowler to take 300 Test wickets, and has since raced past the tallies of Fred Trueman (307), Bob Willis (325) and smashed Sir Ian Botham's previous record of 383.
It's success the likes of which the now 36-year-old Anderson said he never expected when making his start in the game.
"At 17, 18, you never think you're going to go on and play for England. But in the back of my mind, that's what I wanted to do.
"We get to play the sport we love. That's why I still love playing, why I've loved it for the last 15 years. There's no better feeling than winning a close game against a strong team and then celebrating with your team-mates after. They're the memories you take with you."
England rugby union star Courtney Lawes, also speaking as part of Jacamo's #OwnYourMoment campaign, said being dropped by England was the eye-opener he needed in order to best realise his potential in the game.
Similar to Anderson, Lawes' international career has had its fair share of setbacks since he made his debut in 2009, most notably a spell out of the side after current coach Eddie Jones took over in 2016.
Having been listed as a starting lock in 19 of his previous 20 England appearances, five of Lawes' next seven run-outs came off the substitutes bench, before a first international try in a win over South Africa in November 2016 helped earn a starting spot back.
Lawes now has 69 England caps to his name and he travelled to New Zealand in 2017 with the British and Irish Lions - a series that was ultimately shared.
"Rugby is a great sport. It can teach you great values; respect, hard work, discipline," said Lawes. "And if you want to become a professional and reach your potential as a rugby player, you need to be able to work hard, learn fast and develop quickly.
"I'd been playing for England for probably seven years, but not working as hard as I should have done.
"I eventually got dropped from the England team and that was an eye-opener for me, because I realised I had the potential, the skill, but it was just a case of applying it and making sure I did the work.
"I managed to get back in the team, and a couple of years later I managed to get on a Lions tour. I couldn't be more thankful of that experience."
To find out more about Jimmy Anderson's and Courtney Lawes' stories, go to Jacamo #OwnYourMoment.
