MANU’S FINAL FLING
France 2023 is beyond me fears Tuilagi
MANU TUILAGI has put England on notice that this will be his last World Cup – but promised that he intends to make the most of it.
At 28, Tuilagi is a full decade younger than the oldest player at the tournament – Japan’s Luke Thompson.
But the maintenance Tuilagi’s body needs after the injuries that kept him out of Test rugby for so long makes him realistic over his longevity.
Asked if he expected to be around for France 2023, the Leicester centre gave a reflective shake of the head and said: “Probably not, I’ll be too old.
“I know that it is not going to last forever, that it is not going to last very long, so I have got to enjoy the moment while it is here.
“It’s different now. The old me used to just go out and play and train. Now I need to warm up for 30 minutes before I start. I could never be the old me again.
“I have ice baths, massage, Pilates, just to try to keep everything loose – sometimes you don’t want to do it but to get to the training field you’ve got to get over the bridge.
“I don’t look far ahead. One training session at a time, one day at a time. But I would say I enjoy it more now. I enjoy it more than before. For me, it’s an opportunity to just go out there and try to be the best that I can be.
“There is no finished or unfinished business there for me. I’m just really enjoying playing rugby – especially being with this team.”
Tuilagi was speaking after a training session in front of 600 Japanese fans in Tokyo ahead of Saturday’s game against Argentina.
It will be England’s sternest test of the World Cup so far following routine bonus-point victories against Tonga and USA.
For Tuilagi, who spent his down time at the weekend taking 18-month-old daughter Leilani to Universal Studios in Osaka, his role against the Pumas is set to be as an outside-centre, with George Ford and Owen Farrell inside him as dual playmakers.
“With all the players we have here, it doesn’t really matter who it is, but I’ve played a few games now alongside Fordy and Farrell and their knowledge of the game is unbelievable,” he said.
“I try to be as close to them as possible, to try to learn. The way they see the game is different level and playing outside them is unbelievable.
“They are talking constantly but it’s not shouting – it’s just calm. I think if they were shouting most of the game I’d probably switch off!
“But their communication is very clear and very calm, so I stay engaged the whole time.”