End of an era? Tuilagi can bid farewell as England icon

LYON, France — For so long, Manu Tuilagi has had to wear the hats of either England match-winner or, if injured, a symbol of this country’s failure to produce players of his position, any absence of his pinpointing a root cause behind unfortunate defeats.

He has been blockbuster; one of England’s greatest, most lethal centres but as he prepares to play what is likely his final Test match on Saturday in France, there is a regret when considering how much more we could have seen him on the international stage had his body not let him down.

Tuilagi has won 59 caps across a 13-year international career. He could have had nearly triple that — 59 out of a possible 158 — but for a brutal run of injuries. He is yet to feature in this year’s Six Nations, but on Saturday, he’s back in the mix having been named on the replacement bench for the final clash against France in Lyon. But with his contract with Sale up at the end of the season and the lure of foreign opportunities seemingly inevitable, this could be the final time you’ll see Tuilagi line up as the centrifugal point of England’s midfield.

Though injuries have chipped away at him, even now he still has the rarest ability of being able to pick up an entire stadium (and team) whenever he got his hands on the ball. His power and dynamism is still unmatched. Teams have fallen by the wayside in trying to contain him; rarely is there sporting anticipation quite like when Tuilagi gets up a head of steam and a broken defence in front of him.

When fit, he was usually unplayable. But it felt like whenever Tuilagi was absent England coaches were looking at short-term measures to fill the gap. We’ve seen players come and go — figures like Ben Te’o and Sam Burgess were looked at as a foil to Tuilagi’s physicality, but they fell into obscurity. Other combinations tried to cover his absence, but nothing matched the real thing. All the while, Tuilagi hovered. Back in 2014 after a turbulent autumn campaign, then-England coach Stuart Lancaster was asked what ingredient was needed to take the team to the level of world-beaters. He smiled, and responded, simply saying: “Manu.”

But it’s only in this current regime, with the introduction of Ollie Lawrence, that England are looking to long-term, sustainable solutions without him. He’s been available for the past couple of matches in this Six Nations but has remained a much-loved face in the stands. Steve Borthwick is juggling the double vision of having a team ready to win here and now, but also with one eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Manu used to be the first name on the team sheet if fit, but Borthwick has refrained from throwing him back into the mix. It’s part of this changing of the guard, with Tuilagi near to following Courtney Lawes, Jonny May and Ben Youngs in filing off into the international sunset. But still, as with all England greats, blissful memories remain.

Tuilagi fully broke onto the scene back in the 2010-11 season, winning his first Test cap for England that summer and made an immediate impact.

“Manu has that aura about him, that Jason Robinson uniqueness about his ability to impact on a game,” Jonny Wilkinson said at the time.

“When someone has that ability as an individual to change a game you know he has to be special. He has the power, the speed and he reads the game incredibly well. You’d think he’s all about running over people, but he has got the footwork and the passing skills, and he can kick a ball pretty well. You must sit back and acknowledge that you are seeing the future of the game right here.”

He made a dent in the 2011 Rugby World Cup on and off the field. He was fast-tracked into the England team for the campaign but finished it by jumping off a ferry in Auckland.

One of his finest performances came a year later against the All Blacks in 2012 and there were others to come: like his role in England’s destruction of New Zealand again in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup in Japan. He was lethal that year, playing a key role in England’s commanding wins over Ireland and Italy but the space in between was pockmarked with injuries and the odd bit of off-field strife.

He missed the 2015 Rugby World Cup after being stood down by Lancaster after the centre pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and criminal damage. That and his groin injury meant he won just one England cap from 2014 to 2017.

He’s never been one to conform to conventional thinking, turning to a witch doctor in 2017 to cure his crippling groin injury, and trying salsa dancing in 2021 to alleviate the pain of an Achilles injury.

He’s a calmer figure now than in those rambunctious 2011 days. He’s a father, a brilliant chess player and loves the intricacies of being the team’s barista. You’ll also see him popping up on various Instagram feeds in the build-up to a Test match playing snooker against his teammates.

The Tuilagi pipeline has been one of the ever-present joys of covering this sport. He’s the youngest brother of Freddie, Henry, Alesana, Anitelea and Sanele who all played Test rugby for Samoa. The legacy will be carried by Manu’s nephew Posolo Tuilagi — a gigantic second-row and son of Henry — who made his France debut in this Six Nations.So you’ll still have the joy of watching a Tuilagi do their thing, but there is a sense of finality about Manu’s place in the England 23 this weekend.

“He’s been the best, most inspirational player for England,” former England coach Eddie Jones told ESPN.

“He could dent the line better than most — only Stirling Mortlock compared in that regard. The players loved playing with him. He had the rarest trait: x-factor. But above all, he’s a great family man, and a wonderful teammate.”

He has been linked with moves away before. He came close to leaving in 2019 when Racing 92 were circling, but this time it seems almost inevitable that he’ll play abroad next season. Either Bayonne or Super Rugby side Moana Pasifika are likely destinations. He hasn’t yet been offered one of the new RFU hybrid contracts — ones which Maro Itoje and Jamie George have taken up — and in a time when money is tight in the English domestic game, options are few and far between for teams who could find a way to shoe-horn Tuilagi into their squad.

Despite that, those in and around England are hoping for one more Tuilagi surprise. “I’m hopeful that he’ll be staying in England, there are no plans confirmed as yet to my understanding,” Borthwick said on Thursday.

“Ultimately that’s up to Manu and the opportunities that present themselves within England and his representatives. From my point of view, he knows I would want him to be in England, I want all our best players playing in England.”

Saturday will be his first bit of rugby since picking up a groin injury on Sale Sharks duty on Dec. 22. But don’t for one minute think this is a sentimental pick. Borthwick would never do that with a title on the line, and it wouldn’t sit well with Tuilagi.

“Players always earn their opportunity to wear an England shirt and wearing an England shirt is special,” Borthwick said.

“I think the players around him are better because of his presence. And that’s been on the training field, and this weekend it will be in the matchday 23. I can’t wait to see his impact on the players and then his impact when he comes onto the pitch.”

The word “impact” sums up Tuilagi. But one myth which bookmarks both the start and end of his Test career is the misconception that he was just a power merchant. He’s so much more than that as Wilkinson suggested way back in 2011, and Marcus Smith has backed up recently.

“When I was young I used to watch him play; I think I even watched his first try at Twickenham, the dummy-switch with Jonny Wilkinson [against Wales in 2011],” Smith said last year.

“He’s a brilliant ball-carrier. But I think his skill set is undervalued. He can pass off both hands very well. All our centres are massive threats at the line and good carriers in their own right.”

Tuilagi’s talked about retirement in the past, toyed with the temptation of France and at times struggled with the spotlight. But through it all, there has rarely been a sight quite as brilliant as Manu Tuilagi running full pelt and skittling a defence. Watching Tuilagi in full flight and leaving the opposition in his wake has been one of the greatest joys of the last 14 years.