Jones happy to play the waiting game for Tuilagi

EDDIE JONES has waited so long for a fit and firing Manu Tuilagi that he seems as tired of talking about it as everyone else — and England’s head coach rarely tires of talking.

Tuilagi (right) played 17 minutesinutes in Jo n e s ’s fourth game in charge three years ago, butt has not been seen since. Before that, it was almost two years since the Leicester centre had played.

Still, Jones is happy to keepp waiting. Unless he is playingng one of his elaborate mind-games,games we should not expect to see Tuilagi’s name on the team-sheet when England’s side to face Japan on Saturday is announced tomorrow.

The groin injury that ruled him out of the autumn opener against South Africa means he is still not operating at 100 per cent. Jones will not pick him until he is. “These games — and they are getting so much more physically exacting — mean you need to be at 100 per cent,” he says.

On the surface, Japan would have seemed a fine time to bring on Tuilagi for a trundle from the bench. They are lower-ranked, and not known for their physicality. Jones says that view of the team he coached from 2012 until 2015 is outdaoutdated, though. The midfield will not be a peaceful spot on SSaaturday afternoon if, as tthey were against New Zealland recently, Timothy LLafaele, who was born in SSamoa, and Will Tupou, whwho played rugby league for TonTonga, are Japan’s centres. “They are a big team now, much bigger then when I had them,” he says. “They have two big centres who are tall and quite fast.”

Tuilagi is being treated as a unique case by England. While the rest of the squad returned to camp yesterday, he was back at Pennyhill Park on Monday, working with conditioning coaches in the hope of being ready to face Australia next weekend.