Borthwick turns to Tuilagi power to stop Ireland’s Slam dunk
MANU TUILAGI is poised to give England a timely power boost by making a dramatic Test comeback against Ireland at Aviva Stadium, after Ollie Lawrence was ruled out of Saturday’s Six Nations finale.
Bath centre Lawrence damaged a hamstring in the second half of the landslide 53-10 defeat to France three days ago. Yesterday, the RFU confirmed he is unavailable to face Grand Slam-chasing Ireland, giving England a midfield vacancy. The upshot is that the door has re-opened for Tuilagi, weeks after his prospects appeared bleak.
Sale’s 31-year-old wrecking ball was left out of head coach Steve Borthwick’s 23 for the first two rounds of the championship and Lawrence made his mark with an explosive return against Italy at inside centre. Tuilagi was sent back to his club for game-time, but his desire to make a compelling Test case backfired. In a Premiership game against Northampton he was sent off after thrusting his forearm into England wing Tommy Freeman’s head.
When he was hit with a fourmatch ban, there appeared no hope of a Six Nations return, which led to doubts about his international future. Lawrence was forging an alliance with Henry Slade, while Borthwick identified Leicester rookie Dan Kelly as an England centre-in-waiting, before he was also injured.
But how quickly the picture has changed. Borthwick kept Tuilagi involved during the training camp leading up to the France game, so he could be in the mix for a potential role against Ireland. Now Lawrence has been sidelined, there is a prime opportunity.
It comes at a time when Borthwick is hurriedly addressing a chronic power deficit which was exposed by Fabien Galthie’s team.
In the face of a Gallic onslaught, England were blown away. A selection revamp is likely and Tuilagi is capable of providing additional clout.
If he starts in Dublin, it could stir up ghosts in the hosts’ minds. Four years ago, England went to Dublin for a Six Nations opener and produced a thunderous display — one of their best under Eddie Jones — to win 32-20.
That day, Tuilagi set the tone with an early, blasting run from a long lineout and his carrying kept troubling Joe Schmidt’s out-gunned side.
That all seems a distant memory as Ireland prepare to seal a clean sweep that some bookies are already paying out on, while Borthwick grapples with a variety of problems.
He has recalled George Ford, which means England again have three fly-halves, with the option of redeploying Owen Farrell at 12. Marcus Smith will hope to have another chance at No 10.
Speaking in the aftermath of the French ordeal, Smith said: ‘We’re going to the best in the world, so we’re going to have to step up a gear. We have to stick together, because there’s going to be a lot of noise and pressure on us and we’ve got to become tighter as opposed to splintering.
‘There’s no better week than a free swing at Ireland. We’re going to bounce back and improve. We have to.’
What they will face is what Jones called the most cohesive Test team in the world. Ireland are supremely organised and drilled, due to having a large core from Leinster.
And Smith explained how England have a big challenge to achieve the same fluency and understanding.
‘There are 11 teams in the Premiership, all with different ideas and ways of seeing the game, and we’ve got to get on the same page,’ he said. ‘We’ve got a week to right some wrongs.’
Sale lock Jonny Hill has been restored to the squad, along with Leicester centre Guy Porter and London Irish wing Ollie Hassell-Collins, while Sam Simmonds and Joe Heyes were omitted.