Manu Tuilagi hopes hard work pays off this season

Planet Rugby

Sale Sharks and England centre Manu Tuilagi is determined to put his injury problems in the past as he looks to flourish in the Premiership this season.

Tuilagi, 30, has entered his second full season with the Sharks, and third term in all, but injuries and the Covid pandemic have hindered his progress.

An Achilles problem in September 2020 that sidelined him for eight months, and more recently a minor hamstring injury have all provided interruptions.

Feeling good

Sale got their 2021 Premiership season underway last weekend with a 20-19 victory against Bath and asked if this represents the real start to his Sharks career, the England centre said: “I feel good to be fair. I had not played a full 80 for a while so it was good. The legs were good and the lungs were good.

“I just want to be able to play and I’m happy we got a full pre-season. It’s been tough but a lot of hard work has been put in and it’s nice to be able to go for it together, as a team, knowing we have put the work in.

“Me personally with the injuries that I’ve had, I just take it day by day and be thankful I am able to do what I can. It’s a bonus for me to do what I love and not many people get to do that. I am really enjoying playing rugby.

“But I feel good, touch wood, I’ve put in the hard work.”

Some of that hard work has involved shedding some weight. Tuilagi, together with some other members of the Sale side, were forced to ask themselves some “tough” questions following their play-off semi-final defeat to Exeter last season.

“It was a disappointing loss and afterwards I was asked the question do you think you’re fit enough to play that game. It was a tough question to answer but it was probably true,” he said.

“(It was suggested) Maybe we lose four or five kilos and that will allow us to be involved a lot more, in both defence and attack.

“We set out to do that straight after the season and we are nearly there. We’re not there yet, but nearly. It’s been hard work.”

Iain Henderson claims Lions team wasn’t picked on form

Meanwhile, British & Irish Lions forward Iain Henderson has claimed head coach Warren Gatland selected on reputation over form and has criticised the team’s tactics.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI’s ‘Ulster Rugby Show’, the Ulster and Ireland second-row or flanker lifted the lid on the Lions’ 2-1 series loss in South Africa.

The Lions went 1-0 up in a dismal series but lost the next two Tests with Gatland subsequently slammed for using a limited game plan against the Springboks.