Lawes recovering after hospital stay with infection

Courtney Lawes says he is recovering after spending 10 days in hospital with a serious staph infection. The 37-year-old Sale Sharks forward had not played since 17 October, and his account highlights how quickly the infection worsened and the risks of it spreading through the bloodstream.

Lawes initially thought he had flu, but developed severe muscle pain, a high temperature and loss of function in his right arm. He believes the infection may have entered through a foot injury from a match; doctors diagnosed it four days into his stay and changed his antibiotics after his condition failed to improve. He is now recovering day by day.