England’s Six Nations rivals have been warned to brace themselves for a resurgent Manu Tuilagi when the tournament kicks off in just over a fortnight. The injury-plagued centre has not started a Six Nations game since 2013 but his teammate George Ford believes the Leicester man is primed to make a significant impact this season.
Tuilagi will be among a 35-strong England squad announced at Twickenham on Thursday for a pre-tournament camp in Portugal in the run-up to their opening match against last year’s grand slam winners, Ireland, in Dublin. The head coach, Eddie Jones, still has plenty of possible midfield options but a fit and firing Tuilagi would add a fresh attacking dimension.
Ford, for one, senses Tuilagi is poised to come back with a bang. “I have never seen anyone as explosive as Manu,” said Ford, vying with Owen Farrell for the starting No 10 jersey against the Irish. “He is aggressive with it too. Manu wants to do some damage on the field … the opposition fear playing against him and he is unplayable at times. He offers a different dimension, definitely. You could put him in any team and he would make an impact.”
The challenge for England is to unleash him in the right areas to maximise his strengths. “We all know how good Manu can be but you do need to be detailed in the way you attack. With Manu, we need to give him one-on-ones and soft shoulders. We’ve got to work hard on the inside to give him that bit of space on the outside where you can see his full potential.
“I’m not saying he can’t smash into people or get you quick release ball from that breakdown but, if you want to see Manu at his best in terms of line-breaks, running through people and scoring tries, then the attack has to be smart by fixing guys so he can do what he does best. He is unbelievably powerful and so hard to stop. At the end of the day, he wants the ball in his hands in a bit of space. And if there isn’t any space, he wants to run over the top of someone.”
It is also Ford’s belief Tuilagi has finally put behind him the injury woes that have savagely curtailed his career since 2013. “Manu looks as good as I’ve seen for a while,” said Ford. “He is out there every day, doing full sessions and looking as if he is moving a lot better. With Manu the crucial thing is just for him to keep playing because he will definitely get back to the player he was. Even when he does not get the ball the number of defenders he attracts is so important to a side.
“In our last Premiership match against Gloucester he was particularly impressive in defence, flying around, putting big hits in. His match fitness is getting back there, which is really exciting for the club and for England as well.”
The Breakdown: sign up and get our weekly rugby union email.It is now almost eight years since a trademark Tuilagi score helped England beat Ireland 20-9 in a 2011 World Cup warm-up in Dublin. It would be a surprise if Jones does not include him in his starting XV at the Aviva Stadium a fortnight on Saturday, either alongside Ben Te’o, Henry Slade or Farrell should Ford be picked at 10. The latter suggests that, in an ideal world, Tuilagi would prefer to wear 13. “I know he likes 13 at the club with Kyle Eastmond or Matt Toomua inside him. He feels it gives him a little bit extra space.”
With England’s injury problems having eased slightly since the autumn, Jones will also be looking forward to seeing Billy Vunipola back in an England jersey but it seems unlikely that recently sidelined players, including Chris Robshaw, will feature against Ireland. Jones also needs to find a replacement for the injured Sam Underhill and decide where the long-serving Dan Cole fits in to his 2019 World Cup plans.
George Ford is a Land Rover ambassador. Land Rover has a heritage in rugby, sharing and understanding the values of the sport. @LandRoverRugby