Stuart Lancaster’s difficult job to construct an England team for the Six Nations opener against Scotland has been made a far more difficult task with the news that Manu Tuilagi will not be available for the game having been ruled out of the opener, and possibly the second game against Italy with a hamstring injury.
Tuilagi was injured in Leicester’s win over Worcester in the Premiership tie on December 27th and director of rugby, Richard Cockerill has announced he expects Tuilagi to be out for around a month. The Scotland game appears a definite “no” for Tuilagi and it will be touch and go as to whether he is fit for the Italy clash on February 11th.
Tuilagi was one of the few on field success stories at the World Cup and he will no doubt be missed in the Scotland game. At just 20 years old, he will no doubt be involved in the England set up for several years to come (definitley worth sticking some Rugby Free Bets on!)
The process of building towards the future will have to begin without the Samoan born centre, but whenever he does return to the England side he will hope to have an impact on the Six Nations and cement his place in the England side under whoever the new coach turns out to be.
Tuilagi was fined £3000 following England’s elimination from the World Cup in New Zealand when he jumped from a ferry the team were on and swam ashore. This seemed to be the final farce of a difficult tournament for England and is surely a flourish of youthful exuberance that the Leicester and England man must learn to control.
His talent is clear for all to see and England will hope he is fit to play as big a part in the Six Nations as he can. His and England’s future starts with the Six Nations. If I was going to put a bet on Rugby Six Nations it would be that Tuilagi is named as the player of the tournament.