The man whose rugby jersey was auctioned for a world record sum has revealed that persuading Courtney Lawes to give up his idyllic lifestyle in France and return to the Gallagher PREM was an easy sell.<\/p>\n
Dorian West was the talk of the sport when the England shirt he wore on the replacements bench during the 2003 World Cup final in Australia achieved \u00a3500,000 at a charity fundraiser.<\/p>\n
23 years on he is so again after placing the phone call to Lawes which led to the 105-cap Red Rose great not only signing for Sale Sharks<\/a> at the age of 37 but coming out of international retirement.<\/p>\n Highly rated<\/p>\n West, like Lawes<\/a> a former England<\/a> captain, has known the Brive forward since his first days at Northampton where the man universally known as Nobby coached.<\/p>\n So highly does he rate the two-tour British and Irish Lion that he does not think it odd to be enticing him back to English rugby\u2019s top flight three years short of his 40th birthday.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d normally be really nervous about signing somebody of that age, but Courtney has looked after himself so well over the years that his age isn\u2019t a concern at all,\u201d said Sale\u2019s forwards coach.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s still got lots to offer, still putting his body on the line week in week out, still setting standards. He says he\u2019s learned a lot playing with Brive in France and reckons he\u2019s playing some of the best rugby he\u2019s ever played.\u201d<\/p>\n West added: \u201cI played alongside Martin Johnson and Ben Kay for Leicester and England so I\u2019ve got a good idea what champion quality looks like. Courtney, 100 per cent, has it.<\/p>\n \u201cBy champion quality I mean top drawer attention to detail, preparation and determination to be the best and to impose yourself on a game of rugby.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore we even finalised the deal word spread around the club. Walking into work I bumped into Luke Cowan-Dickie. \u201cIs it true, Nobby?\u201d he asked. \u201cIs what true?\u201d I replied.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m officially un-retiring from international duty\u2019 \u2013 Courtney Lawes makes England pledge as new PREM club confirmed<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re signing The Enforcer? Courts is joining?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one thing me being enthusiastic about what we can do with him, when you\u2019ve got lads like Cowan-Dickie and George Ford, who have achieved a ton in the game, genuinely excited at playing with Courtney, that\u2019s priceless.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a buzz about the lads that we\u2019re bringing in someone who everybody can learn off and enjoy being in his company.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Cowan-Dickie, Fordy and the Curry brothers are looking forward to him coming imagine hope those striving to be internationals are feeling.<\/p>\n \u201cI know he\u2019s going to come in and work hard. One of the main things for me is the character of him. He\u2019s one of the best I\u2019ve every worked with.<\/p>\n