Players at every level of the game enter the field knowing that injury’s are just part and parcel of the sport we love. We enter as children knowing that in exchange for our year’s worth of enjoyment, we’ll likely be nursing sore shoulders and dodgy knees in our more senior years.
For some players the injury toll appears more prevalent than others, and none more so than Manu Tuilagi. Arguably one of England’s greatest ever centres, the heavy duty Samoan built Sale player has been tearing it up physically for England over the years whenever he’s found himself fit enough to play.
His hard hits and devastating runs have become the main focal point on an English attack that concentrates on breaking the gameline physically to create space through the centre.
PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 27: Ollie Lawrence and Manu Tuilagi of England celebrate victory at full-time following the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Bronze Final match between Argentina and England at Stade de France on October 27, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Michael Steele – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
With such an intense gameplan of essentially launching an 18 stone bowling ball through the middle of the park, there’s always room for injury – something Tuilagi has been familiar with in his career.
As in turns out, his recent World Cup campaign was not without the odd niggle…with a double broken hand ensuing in both the pool stage match against Samoa, and the third/fourth place playoff against Argentina.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Sale Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson said:
“Manu’s got a plate in his hand from a fracture from the World Cup. He is going to be out for four to six weeks. Knowing Manu, it will be three to five.
“He broke it against Samoa and then broke it again in the third place play-off. It is just collateral damage from playing in the World Cup.
“I asked him: ‘How was it Manu? Are you hanging up your international boots?’ He was like: ‘You will have to put me down physically, lethally inject me, to stop me playing international rugby’. He is loving it at the moment.”
Despite the upcoming layoff, this is good news for England fans, and for head coach Steve Borthwick who appears to be building a gameplan around strong and unwavering ferocity in attack.
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