MANU ON A MISSION
Tuilagi out to seize big chance at last World Cup
ENGLaNd will revert to the creative alliance of George Ford and Owen Farrell against argentina as a means of unleashing the destructive force of nature they call the ‘Chief’.
Manu Tuilagi is primed to wreak havoc against the Pumas on saturday, just as he did in the Pool C opener against Tonga in sapporo 10 days ago.
The Leicester centre is only 28, but he admits he is unlikely to have another World Cup in him, so he is determined to make the most of this one.
But first, the anglo- samoan wrecking ball explained his nickname within the set-up, saying: ‘Chief comes from back home, where we have chiefs of the village. My dad is the real chief!’
The next fixture will bring Tuilagi full circle. His first World Cup appearance came against argentina in dunedin, New Zealand, eight years ago. Back then, he was a raw, rising star, before all the injuries which have stalked his career.
These days, Tuilagi has become used to a different routine. Instead of just training, playing and trusting his instincts and power, he has to spend so much time doing painstaking recovery work and managing his body.
‘I could never be the old me again,’ he said. ‘It’s different now. I need to warm up for 30 minutes before I start!
‘ I have to have ice- baths, massages and do Pilates. But I enjoy it more than I did before. I know that it is not going to last for ever — that it is not going to last very long. I have got to enjoy the moment while it is here.’
asked if he could see himself being involved at the next World Cup, Tuilagi said: ‘Probably not. I’ll be too old, mate! yeah, I feel it.’ He is much more interested in talking about team-mates, notably the two who will be nearest to him on saturday. Ford and Farrell: the playmaker double-act who create space for him and provide a big-match soundtrack. The trio give England a complementary threat in attack.
‘I love it,’ said Tuilagi, about the 10-12 alliance he is set to work with again. ‘I’ve played a few games now alongside Fordy and Farrell and their knowledge of the game is different level. Playing outside them is unbelievable.’
so, do they talk to him much during matches? ‘Constantly!’ he added. ‘But it’s not shouting — it’s just calm. If they were shouting most of the game, I’d probably switch off, but their communication is clear and calm, so I stay engaged.’
Tuilagi has always been in Eddie Jones’s plans for this World Cup, even when the head coach had to endure long periods of being unable to pick his broken weapon of mass destruction.
He is a player who is valued by the management and whose presence has a galvanising effect on his team-mates. They all sense that he has a profound effect on opponents, too.
defence coach John Mitchell made that clear yesterday when he said: ‘He can spook players through his defensive pressure. If he gets you man-and-ball, it’s not that comfortable. and he’s a difficult tackle for anyone.
‘Chief has a real presence. you can feel there is a bit of unfinished business in his mentality. He is older, he is a father now and happily married, so that brings responsibilities and maturity.
‘He is in a good space because he is being managed well and he is being led well.’
Mitchell was also positive about the Ford- Farrell-Tuilagi axis collectively, adding: ‘ That combination is getting more and more familiar.’
Part of it has been familiar for many, many years. Ford and Farrell are old friends and teammates, from age-group to senior level. They have an innate ability to function in tandem.
Ford has been asked endlessly to explain what makes them tick as a partnership. yesterday’s response was: ‘Owen is a bit more ferocious in how he plays. He really takes it to them in terms of his aggression. I’m a bit more calm and relaxed, so it’s probably a good combination.’
Jones evidently thinks so. When he names his team tomorrow, expect to see Ford, Farrell and Tuilagi all in there together, giving England a creative destructive streak.
There’s a chance Mako Vunipola will be back in the starting XV too, at loosehead prop. argentina are talking about going to war and they will have to be ready to face remarkable firepower.