Return of fit-again Tuilagi could be a game changer
Ireland will have their hands full dealing with the Leicester centre – if he can stay on the field
The timing could not be better for Manu Tuilagi to be back, because England desperately need a big ball-carrier in their side. They lacked direction against France after Tuilagi went off 16 minutes into the game and struggled to hit up through the middle, meaning they could not suck in defenders to create space out wide without Tuilagi on the field.
Ideally, you would want to have Tuilagi and both Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy, available. Given the two Vunipolas are not, Tuilagi becomes essential. Ireland will have to pay so much attention to Tuilagi that others can benefit in England’s back line. Ireland have a similar situation with Bundee Aki, someone who can be a wrecking ball through the middle and cause damage.
When Tuilagi is fit, and obviously that is not always the case, he can be unstoppable. The concern going into today has to be that if Tuilagi comes off with an injury, then what is England’s Plan B? They seemed to lack one against France, with no other strike runner to build around. You could argue that England are over-reliant on Tuilagi’s power and that certainly means Ireland will target him, focusing two defenders on the Leicester centre each time to limit his momentum.
His midfield partnership with Owen Farrell has an interesting balance. Aki and Robbie Henshaw work well as a duo for Ireland, complementing each other with Aki’s power and Henshaw’s sharp hands and running lines.
Farrell and Tuilagi are not such an obvious fit, but do have their strengths,
Farrell as a second playmaker, Tuilagi as an initial strike runner at outside centre. They work as a unit.
Ireland’s defence will be tested not only by Tuilagi’s power but also his ability to lure in defenders to make space. That makes it hard for defences to know what to expect. Whereas with Aki, I would say his style is more predictable.
You rarely know where England are going to deploy Tuilagi in a back line or set of phases. He will hit it up, but where? England are smart with how they utilise the threat that he poses.
Another positive with having Tuilagi back is it means fewer crash-ball carries for Farrell, who was taking on that role in the games against France and Scotland, regularly acting as a first ball-carrier off the set-piece. Farrell is obviously not a small man, but he does not really have the stature to pull off that sort of role consistently, and England need him in so many other important areas: tactical kicking, distribution, and now the captaincy. As a decision-maker, you want him out of the ruck and assessing options.
The midfield combination against Scotland of George Ford, Farrell and
Jonathan Joseph did not look especially threatening, but they managed to get the win at Murrayfield. Now with Tuilagi back in the fold, it looks like a harder combination to defend against if he can stay fit and on the field.
Every England supporter will have their fingers crossed before kick-off. Given Tuilagi’s history of issues with groin injuries, it is hard not to feel concerned. You could say the same too about Billy Vunipola and his run of fractured forearms, the latest of which has put him out of the Six Nations. The way both of them play, with that confrontational style, means that injuries are inevitable.
Tuilagi’s return is obviously a positive, but overall England’s back line has been disrupted again with George Furbank’s injury and with Anthony Watson still unavailable. Joseph makes a first Test start on the wing, having not made a start there at any level since when he played for London Irish in 2013. You know that Ireland will be delighted with that. They will look to target him under the high ball. If I was Andrew Conway, his opposite man at Twickenham today, I would be rubbing my hands.
You might be able to get away with moving Joseph there at Premiership level, but Test rugby is a different beast. Eddie Jones might want his players to be adaptable, but at the start of a new World Cup cycle this is the time to build depth. Is Joseph really a longterm option on the wing, particularly when the uncapped Ollie Thorley is in the squad? Faced with the decision between starting an experienced player out of position for the first time and a rookie specialist wing, Jones has opted for the former. Joseph is a talented player, but this selection is definitely a risk. While England have been boosted by the return of Tuilagi, and need him to be effective with ball in hand to get on the front foot, they have presented a weakness with Joseph’s selection on the wing for Ireland to exploit.
Ireland will be looking to target Jonathan Joseph under the high ball