The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Sport Saturday
Tuilagi ripped apart All Blacks like no one else
Centre was just 21 when he produced one of the greatest individual performances for England at Twickenham
There are certain individual performances that have created their own mythology in English sporting history this century. In football, many would pick David Beckham against Greece in 2001. For cricket, Andrew Flintoff at Edgbaston in the 2005 Ashes. Then, in rugby there is Manu Tuilagi against New Zealand in 2012.
The 38-21 victory remains England’s most emphatic over New Zealand but it was all the more impressive given the context. While England had lost to Australia and South Africa that autumn, the All Blacks arrived at Twickenham on the back of a 21-game unbeaten run. “It was a good win,” Tuilagi says in his typically understated style. “Yes, it was a good win.” Tuilagi was just 21. Until that point, the biggest splash he had made as an international was being fished out of Auckland harbour after jumping off a ferry. His performance that afternoon at Twickenham would create even more far-reaching ripples, as a reference point that successive England coaches were beguiled by. Even though Tuilagi played in just 34 minutes of England’s record- equalling 18- match winning run under Eddie Jones, the coach could not help but hark back to that game against the All Blacks. “I know he can demolish the All Blacks, so he’s worth time, he’s worth effort and worth a lot of care,” Jones said in 2017. “I don’t think anyone’s done it with the Lions … No one has ripped them apart – apart from Manu.” Tuilagi star ted the game wearing the widest of grins through the haka before bouncing the All Blacks around like they were toddlers. Watching from the bench at Twickenham before coming on as a replacement, flyhalf Freddie Burns found his jaw on the floor. “The All Blacks were by far and away the best team rugby has probably ever seen at that stage in terms of how dominant they were at the time,” Burns said. “No one really thought we had a chance and then someone like Manu was like the first guy to show you can dominate the All Blacks. We were thinking this All Blacks team is so good, who can step up and take them on? Then you have Manu, who took the game by the scruff of the neck.”
Astonishingly, Tuilagi was not even man of the match that day, flanker Tom Wood winning that particular honour. Yet all everyone was talking about was Tuilagi, who scored one try, by intercepting Kieran Read, and set up two more. First, he drew in Israel Dagg and
‘I do not think he was overhyped at all. I think that was the first time that team was shown to be mortal’
Cory Jane before delivering a cutinside pass to centre partner Brad Barritt. Even more impressive was the way he set up Chris Ashton by powering through Dan Carter’s tackle and then fending off Richie McCaw and Aaron Smith.
The All Blacks could hardly believe what had hit them.
“In that period, Manu was absolutely destructive – he was ripping us to shreds,” Dagg said at the time. “We knew Manu was the biggest threat beforehand, but we had a couple of the best centres in the game – Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith. “I had so much belief in our midfield, that I didn’t expect that from Manu. But he dominated us. Every time he made a break I would have to try and tackle him and I remember thinking, ‘ if he can run over Ma’a or Dan Carter, what can he do to me?’”
Even now Burns considers it the greatest individual England performance he has seen. “I don’t think he was overhyped at all,” Burns said.
“I remember him setting up that try where he goes through Dan Carter and then fends off Richie McCaw. I think that was the first time that All Black team was shown to be mortal.”