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'Every last scrap': Sale explain why Tuilagi is ready for England
Sale have explained why they believe the time was right for Manu Tuilagi to return to the Test fold with England, the powerhouse midfielder getting called up by Eddie Jones for the fallow week’s training camp in London. The fit-again powerhouse midfielder had played just 80 minutes across two Gallagher Premiership appearances in recent weeks for the Sharks.
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He came off the bench on February 6 at Harlequins, playing as a sub for the closing 30 minutes at The Stoop in what was his first game following an eleven-week lay-off with the hamstring he damaged when scoring for England in their November win over South Africa.
Tuilagi then followed this cameo with a try-scoring start in a 50-minute display last Saturday at home versus Worcester and it was enough to convince Jones to put through the calls on Monday to get the centre back in the England mix for the five-day camp this week that is already underway in London.
It was last week at his weekly media briefing that Sanderson spoke about how happy Tuilagi was following his previous call with Jones where it was decided it would be best for the 30-year-old to continue ramping things up with Sale rather than be called into the England squad for the round two Guinness Six Nations game away to Italy.
A call with a very different emphasis unfolded on Monday, though, and it left Tuilagi packing his bags in Manchester and reintroducing himself to the England fold this week ahead of the February 27 round three match at home to Wales.
“We are having a good time here at the moment, he is loving it,” said Sanderson about the recent return of Tuilagi to the Sale colours. “We are all enjoying it, enjoying this mini-resurgence (the Sharks have won their last four matches). It was bittersweet really because he wanted to keep cracking on here driving this but then we had a chat last night again [Monday] after we had one on the field and we just discussed that Manu is made for a bigger stage.
“His country needs him and I want him to down there with the same enthusiasm and the same energy that he has had here – and I know he will but you just have to shift, to reframe, shift your focus and reframe your mentality from what we were doing here and be the same influence down there. But he is very happy about it [the England recall].”
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Before Tuilagi arrived in London on Tuesday the phone lines were busy between the England staff and their counterparts at Sale. “A call through Manu, a call through Eddie (was how he was picked) but the communication on the back of that was extensive and comprehensive and all-inclusive,” explained Sanderson about how it was agreed on Monday that Tuilagi is now ready for England.
“So Eddie rang me up, our physios rang their physios, our S&C rang their S&C and there is a really good plan that is happening. We borrowed the (England) GPS over the last two weeks and we have given them what our recommendations are for his loading and what works for him in terms of treatment to keep him mobile and fresh.
“I haven’t been in the job long but even with the experience back at Saracens, I haven’t been aware of anything this collaborative in the past over from player. I am really confident we are going to get it right.”
Tuilagi has returned to the England fold at a fighting weight of 103kgs having shed even more kilos during his latest layoff. “He told me (he is) about 103. He is still big for a back, 103, it’s just not big for Manu. He has gone from 110 to 107 to now 103.”
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Has that reduced size affected his power? “You can see his ability to snap in the tackle at that weight against Quins. There were two or three tackles and an inside shoulder where he has to adjust late and he still had that punch in him, real punch, and then when he got the ball at the weekend he is still running through and over people.
“That was the one area (of worry about losing weight), is he still going to have that punch power. Evidently, he has had over the last two weeks.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
13 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to comments