England centre Tuilagi fired up for France

LONDON: Manu Tuilagi has insisted that “living and learning” had made him a more mature player as he looks to continue his England comeback against France in the Six Nations at Twickenham tomorrow.

The Leicester powerhouse is set to be named at inside centre again by England coach Eddie Jones after making his first Championship start since 2013 in last week’s impressive 33-20 win away to Six Nations champions Ireland.

Above all Tuilagi hopes it’s his performance on the field that will be talked about rather than away from the pitch as happened following his first appearance against France in the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

England lost 19-12 and then saw Tuilagi create yet more unwanted headlines when the Samoa-born midfielder jumped from a ferry shortly before it docked in Auckland.

Tuilagi received a warning from local police and was fined £3,000 (RM15,000).

It was the first of a series of unsavoury incidents that included a conviction for assaulting an English police officer and making “bunny ears” behind then Britain’s then Prime Minister, David Cameron.

As if that were not enough, Tuilagi saw his career blighted by a succession of groin, knee and hamstring injuries.

But the 27-year-old marked his international return in Dublin with both trademark powerhouse charges downfield and, in a sign of how his game has developed, plenty of craft, as he linked well with centre partner Henry Slade.

Tuilagi, reflecting on his indiscretions, said Thursday: “That feels like a long time ago to be fair.

“A s you grow up you learn — you live and you learn. All the things that have happened, you make your bed and you’ve got to lie in it. That’s life.”

The British and Irish Lions back added: “You learn and try to be better as a person. For me as a rugby player, to come back now and have a second opportunity to have a go at it.”