Vunipola has a job to oust Moon
Mako Vunipola said he did not expect to walk back into the England team after turning in a man-of-the-match performance for Saracens on Sunday following two months out with a calf tear.
The Saracens loosehead said he had “a job to do” to win his place back thanks to the impressive displays of Ben Moon and Alec Hepburn in his absence.
While Saracens stuttered at times during their 51-25 win over Cardiff Blues in the Champions Cup, Vunipola was in typically rambunctious form, solid at the setpiece and showing the sort of hands of which a centre would be proud in open play.
The 27-year-old sustained a broken nose with almost his first contribution of the match, but he joked it was “never the prettiest nose” anyway. “I am getting a bit of stick from the lads, which is warranted after playing only 50 minutes,” he said. “[But] the most important thing was to get through the game and win against a tough opponent in Cardiff.
“I feel good. You always have that awareness of the injury, but once you’re in the game and the heat of it, it kind of goes out the window.”
Vunipola said it had been frustrating watching England in the autumn, admitting he was “not the best” spectator and that his wife generally had to leave the room after 10 minutes due to his shouting. But he said he was “happy for the boys who came into the England camp”, in particular Exeter duo Moon and Hepburn.
“Whenever someone gets injured, it’s an opportunity for someone else,” he said. “That’s how I got a chance, [Alex] Corbisiero got injured. To be fair they came in, did exactly what Eddie [Jones] and all the coaches asked.
“Ben [Moon] pushed really hard, so I’ve got a job to do playing well for Sarries and hopefully putting my hand up for selection again.”
Asked whether he expected to go straight back into the starting XV for the Six Nations, Vunipola added: “No, that’s never the case. For me, it’s just playing well for Sarries and doing my bit to keep improving.”