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What Marcus Smith has made of Manu Tuilagi's England squad return
Marcus Smith had admitted he is loving rubbing shoulders once more with the fit-again Manu Tuilagi, someone he vividly remembers watching in person as an eleven-year-old kid at Twickenham scoring his first England way back in 2011. The Sale powerhouse has only played a total of 46 times for his country in an injury-hit career but he is now back in Eddie Jones’ squad ahead of the February 27 Guinness Six Nations match at home to Wales.
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Tuilagi damaged a hamstring when scoring for England last November versus South Africa but he is now back in the international mix after proving his fitness in recent weeks with Sale following an eleven-week layoff.
His inclusion at this week’s 25-man training camp in London indicates that Eddie Jones will likely look at reprising the midfield combination he started against the Springboks of Tuilagi and Henry Slade. Whatever the selection decision next week, new England talisman Smith is enjoying having the big fella around the set-up again.
“He is a brilliant player,” said Smith on Wednesday about the 30-year-old Tuilagi, who burst on the scene eleven years ago with a score against Wales in the run-up to the World Cup in New Zealand.
“When I was very young I used to watch him play and I even watched his first try at Twickenham which was quite special, the dummy switch with Jonny Wilkinson. To be able to play with him is special. I played one or two games in the autumn with him and it’s brilliant to have him back in camp. He is a ball of energy, all the boys love him and we hopefully can play together one day.
“He is a different player. All our centres are very different in the way they play. Chief [Tuilagi] is a brilliant ball carrier but his skill set as well is undervalued. He can pass off both hands, he can go to the line, tip, dummy, he can do the whole lot. As well as our other centres they are all massive threats at the line and good carriers in their own rights.”
The absence of Tuilagi from the 2022 Six Nations has left Smith absorbing learning from numerous other England players. “I’m very, very grateful I have got a brilliant group of backs and forwards around me, all guys that have got brilliant skill sets, all want to play the game in a similar way.
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“But yeah, I have had to learn a lot off of some of the backs in Henry Slade, Elliot Daly, Freddie Steward, George Ford, different ideas of playing rugby and we have tried to come up with our own way to play as England because ultimately we are all wearing the same shirt now and we are not playing for our club sides, so we have to come together pretty quickly and try and play the same way altogether.
“We have said this week we want to work hard as a group, build closer connections, get tighter as it is still a new squad coming together and then work hard for each other, and as we build through the week we are going to start layering in our game plan for Wales.
“But initially today [Wednesday] we are just trying to get to know each other again, be on the same wavelength again since we have been at home with our families and the work hard started with our session this afternoon.”
England reassembled in London after their win over Italy in Rome got them back on winning track in the Six Nations following the opening day loss at Scotland. “It [Italy] was a nice way to finish the block of the first two games. We were extremely disappointed on the back of the Scotland game to only come away with the one point but we quickly shifted our attention to Italy and to get five points down there against a very proud Italian side was good. Very happy with it.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
I’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.
6 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
8 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
8 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?
2 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 commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to comments