Rugby round-up: Stuart Lancaster expected to field Manu Tuilagi against Wales

Manu Tuilagi

One of England’s notorious trouble-makers from the World Cup debacle, Manu Tuilagi, will play “some part” in the country’s next Six Nations game with Wales on Saturday, according to Stuart Lancaster.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5Live on Monday, the interim coach admitted the inclusion of a man who capped off an awful episode for the national side by jumping off a ferry into a busy harbour terminal and being cautioned by police would be “interesting”.

Lancaster’s reformed side from the one littered with an old guard that undermined Martin Johnson and led to his resignation after the tournament last autumn have won two out of two of their opening Six Nations matches – well-drilled, well-disciplined and focused.

But with changes anticipated, Lancaster has decided to reinstate a controversial figure who has not yet proved himself on the international stage after a season and a half of promising form for Leicester Tigers.

Lancaster said: “It's nice to have people like him coming back into the equation. It'll be an interesting decision but I think he'll be playing some part. I'm delighted he’s got some game time [for Leicester after a hamstring injury ruled him out of the squad for clashes with Scotland and Italy].”

“Manu, Toby [Flood] and Courtney [Lawes] haven't played a lot recently and to play international rugby you have to be playing at the sharp end of domestic rugby. There will be one or two changes from the Italy game and we certainly think our bench will be an important factor going into the second half.”

Two of the aforementioned changes could well be scrum-half Lee Dickson coming in for Ben Youngs and Ben Morgan could start at No.8 after impressing from the bench in Rome.

Lyall Thomas

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