DOOR IS OPEN FOR TUILAGI’S ENGLAND COMEBACK
MANU TUILAGI could still make his England comeback during the autumn series but he must build a compelling case over the next seven weeks to atone for his latest disciplinary setback.
England head coach Eddie Jones is due to name his squad for the November internationals on October 26 and Leicester’s AngloSamoan centre has a chance.
Sportsmail understands that the 26-year-old has not been ruled out, even though he was ejected from an England training camp last month after a drinking session with Sale wing Denny Solomona.
That does not mean the England management will give Tuilagi a clean slate after this latest disruptive episode. It will count against him and he will have to convince the coaches that he is ready.
Since his Test debut in 2011, Tuilagi has won just 26 England caps. Remarkably, only five of those have come since he touredured with the Lions in 2013.
A series of injuries andd off-field dramas have combined to repeatedly check Tuilagi’s progress towards world-class status.
At the start of this year he suffered severee knee damage which keptpt him out of action for sevenven months. After being broughtrought back into the Tigers new-look back line in pre- season, he made his competitive comeback in the Aviva Premiership defeat by Bath at Welford Road on Sunday — though he did score a try.
Tuilagi now has a maximum of seven club fixtures to regain match sharpness and make it impossible for England to overlook him.
His antics last month harmed his prospects but he is seen by the hierarchy as a potent attacking weapon. Jones is understood to be so convinced of Tuilagi’s credentials as a match-winning Test centre that he will wait until 2019 — if circumstances dictate — to reintegrate him before the World Cup.
Yet, the player’s hopes of an early recall depend in part on outside factors. Worcester’s Lion, Ben Te’o, is another prime candidate for a midfield place this autumn against Australia, Argentina and Samoa, but he went off injured during the Warriors’ defeat at Newcastle on Friday night.
Another issue is how widely Jones implements his plan to rest the stalwarts of the Lions series in New Zealand. The most likely scenario would involve those who started all three matches against the All Blacks being stood down — namely, Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Elliot Daly, Anthony Watson — along with Owen Farrell.
The policy is not yet set in stone and a player with Farrell’s competitive energy would surely resist attempts to take him out of the firing line. If he were rested, it would increase the chance of Tuilagi claiming a squad place, at least. In the biggerb picture of World Cup planning, indications are that the 10-12 axis of George Ford and Farrell is seen as far more tthan a mere stop-gap, which may see Tuilagi emerging as a challenger to Jonathan Joseph at No 13. Meanwhile, Joseph’s cencentre partner at Bath, Max Clark, followed up his twotwo-try contribution to the historic win at Welford Road by admitting that he is torn about national allegiance.
The 21- year- old was born in Bridgend but represented England in various age-group sides, before Wales tried to pick him for their summer tour this year.
He declined and said: ‘It’s tricky. I’m half English and half Welsh. I don’t know where I want my future to go. I thought that at this age I wanted to keep my options open. My mum is still pushing me that way (towards Wales).’
Premiership Rugby Ltd are seeking new long-term title sponsors after having to settle for a cut-rate one-year extension with Aviva. The PRL deny that the extension was worth just 25 per cent of the previous yearly rate but admit they have been hampered by Brexit-related caution in the marketplace.