O’Connor confident Tuilagi will recapture match-winning best

MANU Tuilagi is nearing a return from injury and should complete a full preseason according to Tigers boss Matt O’Connor.

Tuilagi has suffered a cruel run of fate since last appearing for England in June 2014, with groin, hamstring and pectoral issues before an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury in January against Saracens ended his season.

However, O’Connor said: “Manu’s recovering well. He should do a full pre-season and then play in the friendlies at the end of August.

“Structurally, everything is good as gold but you don’t know until he’s running again how the groin will pull up after his long lay-off. All the indicators are very positive around him getting back to the form he was in three or four years ago.

“To have Manu, Matt Toomua and Logovi’i Mulipola (all ACLs) back for pre-season will be like having three new players and if we can get those marquee guys on the pitch, we’ll be in a good position to challenge the likes of Saracens, Exeter and Wasps.”

Leicester’s last appearance in a European Cup final came in 2009 – way too long ago according the man who replaced Aaron Mauger in March.

O’Connor added: “This club is built on winning trophies and while the Premiership is more competitive than during my first spell here, that’s what we’re aiming to win – and we also want to be challenging in Europe.

“We struggled in Europe this year but that’s the pinnacle and it’s been far too long since this club got to a European final, let alone won one.”

George Ford endured a disappointing end to his stint at Bath, but O’Connor is confident he can get the best out of the playmaker.

The Aussie added: “He’s a great kid who I’ve known since he was 16 and nobody works harder or drives standards better. George was probably a bit scrambled towards the end at Bath but there’s so much more to come from him.”