Lawes reveals he played through the pain to propel Saints past Bulls

Lawes had suffered a back spasm in the build-up to the game at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, but he refused to let it stop him starting against the Bulls.

He went on to deliver another huge performance, capping it with a try as Saints secured a 59-22 success that sets up a final-four trip to Croke Park in Dublin to face Leinster on the first weekend of May.

And Lawes, who was taken off 12 minutes into the second half to a typically loud ovation, said: "I had a back spasm at about one o’clock and that was fun!

"I am looking forward to playing game without wondering if I can run or not!”

“I’m just getting old.

"I have been dealing with a couple of issues the last few weeks and it is not ideal, but I could not pull out.

"I was ‘as long as I can run, I am playing’.

"I got a bunch of painkillers in me and cracked on.

“Knowing you can rely on your team-mates and the boys around you makes you just want to get out there and play with them.

"There was no way I was pulling out of this game.”