Jones: Manu can rip All Blacks apart
MANU TUILAGI can still be England’s All Blacks destroyer, according to Eddie Jones. The Leicester Tigers centre, 26, has only played 20 minutes for his country in three years, having been plagued by a succession of injuries. His finest hour in an England shirt came in 2012 when he ripped through New Zealand at Twickenham in a 38-21 victory. But he has only played 10 Tests since, plagued by groin, hamstring and knee issues. The barn-storming runner has been given another chance to resurrect his international career by England head coach Jones, who recalled him for a pre-season training camp in London this weekend. And after meeting Tuilagi for a coffee in Leicester over the summer, Jones is hoping his fitness worries are behind him. ‘He loves rugby and he wants to play for England,’ said Jones. ‘He loves playing for England. He wants to get back and play for the Tigers too. He is doing everything he can to get ready. ‘I am impressed by his dedication. He’s had a tough time — the amount of injuries he’s had would be enough to knock people away. ‘We’re confident he’s moving in the right direction, but he’s still a hell of a long way away from playing Test rugby. I’ve got no idea where he is really until we see him. But I do know he can demolish the All Blacks, so he’s worth time. He’s worth effort and worth a lot of care. I don’t think anyone’s done it with the Lions. No one has ripped them apart — apart from Manu. ‘We don’t need everyone like that. Like a good Test cricket bowling attack, you don’t need everyone ripping through the opposition. You need a few who can bowl line and length and that’s the balance of the team. ‘The more he works hard and diligently, the more chance he has of playing.’ Jones and his staff have spent the summer gaining expertise from other sports, attending the Tour de France, and sessions with England hockey, West Brom and the British bobsleigh team. And on his return Jones has put pressure on his skipper Dylan Hartley, saying the hooker is not certain of retaining the captaincy for the three Tests against Argentina, Australia and Samoa in November, despite having credit in the bank. ‘If he comes to camp and he’s in bad condition, or he has a bad attitude, he won’t be captain,’ Jones said. ‘If he comes to camp, he’s fit, leads by example, he captains the first Test. Then we’ll take it from there. He’s like Captain Cook; if Captain Cook didn’t find Australia, he wouldn’t be a captain. ‘Dylan knows. It’s not something that’s he’s anointed at — he’s not a Lord or a Sir — it doesn’t stick with him for life. There are other people that can do it. He has got more than a bit of credit. We have won 19 of the 20 games — he is trading as well as HSBC.’