Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'Nothing's ruled out with Manu': The difference Tuilagi is making

(Photo by PA)

Martin Gleeson is so glad to have the fit-again Manu Tuilagi back in the England ranks because of the added dimension he brings, the attack coach mischievously suggesting the powerhouse midfielder could even pop up in his team’s back row at some stage at Twickenham. The English host Wales this Saturday in a must-win Guinness Six Nations encounter and their planning has been emboldened by having the services again of Tuilagi, who missed the opening matches versus Scotland and Italy.       

ADVERTISEMENT

Tuilagi damaged his hamstring when scoring against the Springboks in November and the injury required an eleven-week layoff before he returned to Gallagher Premiership action for Sale. With 80 minutes accumulated from two league appearances, he was called up by England for last week’s fallow week training camp in London. 

Now he has been retained by Eddie Jones in the 25 that have been kept on at Pennyhill Park ahead of Thursday’s matchday 23 announcement after the squad was pared down from 35 on Tuesday evening. It leaves Tuilagi primed for a return to the England team and new attack coach Gleeson, who previously worked with the midfielder throughout the three-game November series, is delighted by the prospect of what it can do for their creativity.      

Video Spacer

Le French Rugby Podcast – Episode Episode 17

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      Le French Rugby Podcast – Episode Episode 17

      France are the only team left in this year’s Six Nations with their Grand Slam hopes still alive and we’re joined by former Ireland hooker and ex-Grenoble coach Bernard Jackman to dissect their win over Ireland. We discuss French physicality, the calibre of coaching, dessert-gate during his time in France and much more. Plus, Johnnie picks himself up after another false dawn for Scotland, Benji gives his view on what’s going on in Toulon and we pick our MEATER Moment Of The Week…
      Use the code FRENCHPOD10 at checkout for 10% off any full price item at Meater.com

      Usual midfield pick Tuilagi started on the wing in the mid-series win over Australia and asked if a floating role was potentially on the cards against Wales, Gleeson curiously went a step further. “Yeah and back row. We talked about back row because he could go in there at some point. Manu is the type of player who can jump up anywhere. Yeah, we have got options with the squad we have got. Nothing is ruled out with Manu, or any of the other players in fact.”   

      What makes Tuilagi so important for England? “Manu can just take the ball and make metres and get us quick ruck just by himself. Not everyone can do that and that is why Manu is the player that he is, because of his power, and he had got a good rugby brain as well. He just adds.

      Related

      “He gives you that little bit of something different. He is so eager, the unseen work in attack to get himself in the right positions to then have an effective attack has really been evident. He has been working hard at Sale and he did with us in the autumn and his experience as well, he is the type of guy that just adds another dimension to your attack, to create overlaps or gaps in defences. He is the guy who can punch holes on his own so he will be a good part of the mix.   

      “Manu is Manu. His acceleration and the power with his acceleration is phenomenal. As a coach, it is great to have him in your squad,” continued Gleeson, who wants England to get immediately stuck into Wales on Saturday.  

      ADVERTISEMENT

      “We have to go after them when we have got the ball and when we haven’t so we need to have some line speed in defence and hit hard and when we have got the ball there are a few opportunities that we can see. We want to take them as quickly and as early in the game as possible. We don’t want to play in our shell, we want to play the brand of rugby that we want to play straight from the kick-off. It’s the blueprint that we want going forward for new England.   

      “We have still got a bit to go but we are going in the right direction. Tuesday was the best session we have done since I have been there. Just the intensity and some of the play was superb. I thought it was really good. We’re heading in the right direction. It’s never perfect. You are always aiming for that [perfection] but it never is. But we went to play with the intent and the right attitude to go after teams when we have got the ball and without.”

      ADVERTISEMENT

      South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

      Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

      Saitama Wildknights vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

      The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

      The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

      Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

      Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

      Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

      Trending on RugbyPass

      Comments

      0 Comments
      Be the first to comment...

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Features

      Comments on RugbyPass

      S
      Solenn Bonnet 4 days ago
      Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

      My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

      CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

      EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

      WhatsApp.. +15617263697

      website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

      Telegram.. +15617263697

      0 Go to comments
      LONG READ
      LONG READ 'If any Welsh side makes the URC knockout games, it will be worth applauding’ 'If any Welsh side makes the URC knockout games, it will be worth applauding’
      Search