First indication given that a rushed England return for Tuilagi unlikely

Eddie Jones has resisted the urge to bring Manu Tuilagi back into the wider England squad, suggesting the centre is unlikely to feature in this year’s Six Nations.

Jones has named 27 players to be involved in England’s training camps this week and Tuilagi is not included.

19 players will convene in Oxford tomorrow for a short camp until Thursday with the remaining eight players taking part in mini regional camps at Leicester Tigers, Pennyhill Park, Saracens and Wasps. An RFU statement said that the focus of the camps will be “on reconditioning rather than rugby training.”

Tuilagi scored for Leicester Tigers in their rout of Saracens on the weekend and also gifted a teammate a try with the line beckoning.

While he looked in fine form, Tigers coach Matt O’Connor was also reluctant to endorse a quick return to the England fold. O’Connor told the BBC that to rush him back in would be a ‘big ask’ and would not ‘send the right message’.

“He’d be the first to say he’s still building back into his game,” O’Connor told BBC Radio Leicester.

“He needs to build into that continuity week on week and get his confidence, but his try will be important for him.”

“It would be a massive ask for Manu and Eddie Jones to throw him in. It isn’t what you want to be doing and it doesn’t send the right messages, and I think Eddie will back the guys he’s got to deliver in the next two games.”

Tuilagi returned to the Leicester Tigers backline earlier in February and the blockbusting centre has now strung together three back to back appearances for his club.

It is the latest in a long line of injury comebacks for Tuilagi, who has played precious little rugby in the last 24 months. If he is to force his way back into the England side for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, he will need to demonstrate the ability to stay fit over the course of the next 18 months.

? Manu Tuilagi crossed for his third try of the season in Sunday's win over Saracens, with the rampaging centre showing the danger he can be from close-range.

See it again on LTTV now ?? pic.twitter.com/Cvcra80IGy

— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) February 26, 2018