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Manu Tuilagi has added third string to his fitness fight after dabbling in hiking and salsa

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Manu Tuilagi is using a state-of-the-art anti-gravity treadmill to accelerate his return from Achilles surgery and is now expected to starting playing again for Sale Sharks at the start of May, increasing his chances of making the British and Irish Lions squad to take on South Africa.

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Tuilagi has been exploring various ways of helping his recovery, including hiking and learning to salsa, but he is now concentrating on running for the first time since injuring his leg in September last year.

The severity of the Achilles injury raised serious doubts about his ability to make it back in Sale colours before the end of this season but he is now on course to play a key role in their bid for a Premiership playoff place and that would also surely put the England centre back in the Lions selection mix.

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Eddie Jones’ thoughts after England defeated France in last weekend’s Six Nations game at Twickenham

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Eddie Jones’ thoughts after England defeated France in last weekend’s Six Nations game at Twickenham

To help Tuilagi get back on the pitch, Sale have given the midfielder a programme to follow based around the anti-gravity treadmill that allows the centre to run by reducing the pressure on his legs.

Alex Sanderson, the Sale director of rugby, said: “The specialist always gives you a minimum time and that is now about five weeks for Manu and it is looking good for him. It will be five weeks to contact and then maybe a week more to play. He is a quick healer and looks like he will be on the minimum recovery period.

“It is hi-tech what Manu is doing. You put on a pair of special pants that are really tight like shorts and then step into a bubble on the running machine that is the zipped up around you. Then it blows up and lifts you up.

“Depending on the pressure, it takes the weight off you while you are running and so there is less strain on joints. He has now done two sessions and the strength and conditioning and medical guys dovetail to help his recovery. There are a lot of markers that will have to be hit when he comes back to play and we won’t be rushing things.”

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Sale, who have had Tuilagi linked with a summer move away from the club, are also expecting to add flanker Ben Curry and strong running centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg to their squad “in the next couple of weeks”. Sanderson, though, will have to continue without their physicality when his team attempts to bounce back from defeat at Northampton when they face London Irish at the AJ Bell Stadium next Sunday.

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J
JW 14 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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