'We're struggling to see how we can manage him potentially better'
Alex Sanderson has refused to write off the ambition of Manu Tuilagi to play for England in this season’s Guinness Six Nations, the Sale boss suggesting that he could be ready to return for the March 19 round five match versus France once he comes through club training safely next week. Named last Thursday morning in his country’s team to face Wales in round three of the championship, the powerhouse midfielder was scratched from the side later that same day after it emerged he had suffered a fresh hamstring issue at Pennyhill Park.
England had been hoping to play Tuilagi in their team for the first time since he originally injured the hamstring in the November win over the Springboks, but he was replaced in the starting line-up by Elliot Daly and he instead spent his weekend back home in Manchester.
Rather than ask Tuilagi to come down to Bristol for this week’s three-day training camp so that they could monitor his latest injury at close quarters, England excluded the centre from the 25-man squad named on Wednesday lunchtime and it was left to Sale boss Sanderson later that evening at his club’s weekly media briefing to shed light on the latest status surrounding his player’s latest injury situation.
“It’s probably the lightest strain you can probably get, it’s a 1A, it’s a fascial tear, there is no muscle tear there and it’s probably a little bit too far, a little bit too soon for him,” explained Sanderson on why Tuilagi pulled up lame having initially played 80 minutes across two games for Sale and then come through unscathed from a week’s training in London with England before last week’s matchweek setback.
“We have spoken to Eddie and we liaise with their physios and S&Cs and we are all on the same page and we have agreed to catch up post the Six Nations to understand how we can manage him potentially better, but we are struggling to see how we can at the moment apart from it just being too much too soon.”
Asked if the Ireland game on March 12 was too soon for Tuilagi but he could be available for the tournament’s closing match away to France seven days later, Sanderson added: “That is the fairest estimation. He hasn’t trained yet, so he is back in training next week… That is the aim, to get him back before the end. We have learned a little lesson, though, not to push him too far too soon so we will come to that hurdle again when he is properly fit and in the right space. We will assess it at that point in time and take it week to week.”
Although not named in the official 25-man England training squad this week, Tom Curry is in Bristol working with the national team trainers and medics. Why then isn’t Tuilagi doing the same as his club colleague and also attending this England camp rather than waiting to get going again with Sale?
“It’s case by case always,” continued Sanderson. “Tom’s return to play from his HIA, he got a bang on the head – he was released and sent home Sunday so he has been at home Sunday, Monday and then passed his HIA yesterday [Tuesday] and went back in. That puts him ready to prep for Ireland whereas we have already said that Manu probably isn’t going to be back for Ireland.
“Where is the best place at the moment for him to be psychologically best kept and looked after? It’s with his family and with us. That makes sense after everything we have talked about. Not that we are better. We are not better at rehabbing people, we don’t have a better system in terms of our psychological aid, we certainly don’t have better coaches because they have got years and years of coaching experience.
“It is none of that. It’s our familiarity with the athlete we are talking about, the individual we are talking about because we have worked with him for so long and got him through really tough injuries that at the moment here is the best place for him. Does that make sense? I don’t want it going out, ’Alex Sanderson said it is better for him to be at Sale’. It is better for this man to be here with us on most fronts at the moment but as soon as he is ready to train, he’ll go (back with England).”
Quizzed on how he reacted to the breaking news last Thursday that Tuilagi had suddenly been ruled out of playing for England just hours after he was named at No12 to take on Wales, Sanderson remarked: “I was gutted for him, I genuinely was gutted for him. That was my reaction. Everyone expected me to be annoyed, frustrated. I wasn’t. This is about Manu and I want him to play for England as everyone does.
“The frustrating fact is he is not out there playing for the country, but the encouraging thing is the injuries he is getting aren’t as severe. We seem to have a better handle on his loading for the fact that he is not breaking down with seemingly long-term injuries, so that is encouraging. When it happens you have to reframe it in your own mind as to the positives and what you can control.
“The positives are he is going to be back in a week or two, he is in great form, he is positive himself, he is probably in the shape of the life he has definitely got two or three years ahead of him so this is just a little hurdle and once you reframe it like that you start to look forward to the next year and a half to the World Cup as opposed to looking back.”
Would Tuilagi’s career benefit from a long run at Sale rather than being in and out with England, Sanderson replied: “In terms of his ability to improve the length of his career, yes, and that is only because the intensity of training, the physicality of games is less so in the Premiership than it is in international rugby.
“The physical and mental strain is increased in that environment so it puts strain on you neurologically and physically. That is the only reason. Everyone in this scenario wants him to play. So yeah, I am not talking from we manage him better. We just load him less.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
4 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
3 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
4 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to comments