Fab four return to rock Wales!
England boosted by explosive power of the comeback kings
MANU TUILAGI and a host of other pedigree reinforcements are poised to bolster england’s Six nations campaign ahead of their clash with Wales at Twickenham on February 26.
Veteran centre Tuilagi has made an explosive return to action for Sale, following a hamstring injury lay-off, to leave him on course for a swift recall to the Red Rose squad this week. And as england flew home yesterday after their successful mission to Rome, eddie Jones revealed that he may be able to summon a number of other familiar faces.
Asked which absentees might be available again for round three of the tournament, the head coach said: ‘Potentially, Joe Launchbury, Tuilagi, Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam. There’s a question mark about Sam Underhill too, so there are a few who could come back into the squad.’
Having Tuilagi back in the fold would be a significant boost for england as they gear up for a tough schedule — with Wales and Ireland up next in London before a trip to Paris for a grand finale against title favourites France. They will need all the firepower they can muster and their 30-year-old wrecking ball offers that in abundance.
Tuilagi remains a uniquely explosive and physically dominant asset and Jones said: ‘Just having a power-running centre would give us a different option. everything we’re doing now is about trying to create opportunities through finesse — through good running lines and passing.
‘To have someone who can take you forward quickly and engage two or three defenders allowing you space would be really useful to us.
‘When you’ve got smaller centres, you’ve got to be much better at your running, support lines and passing. I think we’re making some progress. We’ve had three centres play and Henry Slade has been very good. Joe Marchant and elliot Daly have had their moments, but we need to get more out of that and we understand that.
‘If Manu is fit… I’ll have a chat to Alex (Sanderson, Sale’s director of rugby) and Manu, see where they’re at and whether he’s got enough petrol in the tank to make the step up.’
england have also missed Lawes, who is going through a drawn-out return from a head knock he sustained playing for northampton against Ulster last month. Jones added: ‘He’s not far away now and we’re really hopeful he’ll be able to play against Wales.’
The encounter with the Welsh — who earned a gutsy 20-17 home win over Scotland on Saturday — will give england an opportunity to atone for their defeat in Cardiff last year, which contributed to a fifth-place finish in the table.
But when asked if he could take any lessons out of that setback, Jones quipped: ‘I don’t think there is anything to learn from bad refereeing.’
He won’t take the next opposition lightly, however, adding: ‘They’re a good, tough team. They’re Six nations champions. They’re not going to throw away their mantle easily.’