Manu in but Mako out for Ireland clash
ENGLAND welcomed Manu Tuilagi back yesterday and they are likely to need his ball-carrying clout against Ireland after Mako Vunipola was ruled out of Sunday’s Six Nations clash at Twickenham. While Leicester’s midfield powerhouse has returned to training after recovering from a minor groin strain, another of England’s Polynesian giants will not be available for round three of the championship. Saracens prop Vunipola has returned to Tonga for family reasons, and with his younger brother Billy already unavailable after another arm fracture, Eddie Jones has been deprived of gainline-busting firepower. on that basis, Tuilagi appears to have every chance of coming straight back into the starting XV if he can avoid any mishaps in a gruelling day of training today at England’s Surrey HQ. Exeter’s Henry Slade is also back in training and, in theory, he and Tuilagi could both be reinstated, with owen Farrell shifting to No10. Slade has not played since December, so it might be seen as an excessive gamble following his recovery from an ankle injury. Up front, the absence of
Mako Vunipola means Joe Marler is likely to reclaim the England No1 shirt, unless Jones decides to hand Ellis Genge only his seventh Test start. The head coach has called up Bath’s Beno obano to provide cover for those two established looseheads, as reward for his impressive club form since recovering from a savage knee injury he suffered while training with the national squad in May 2018. The debate about Tom Curry’s selection at No 8 has died down following a strong performance in the 13-6 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield.