Ollie Lawrence Defends Actions in Controversial Rugby Incident

The England centre denies diving or cheating after a head clash led to Alex Mitchell's yellow card during a Premiership match.

Ollie Lawrence faced backlash after a head-on-head collision with Alex Mitchell during Bath's narrow 35-34 loss to Northampton Saints resulted in Mitchell being sin-binned.
Lawrence insists he acted within the rules, stating players are allowed to go down after head collisions for safety and referee review.
Acknowledging fan criticism, Lawrence apologized on social media but maintained he did not dive or cheat, attributing his actions to clouded judgment in the moment.
Footage of Lawrence smiling after the incident drew further ire, but he explained it as a personal habit to refocus after mistakes, not a sign of mockery.
Both Lawrence and Mitchell, who have reconciled over the incident, are expected to be named in England's Six Nations squad next week.