Steve Borthwick weighs in on Manu Tuilagi’s future amid England centre’s transfer talks
England centre Manu Tuilagi and head coach Steve Borthwick.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has urged centre Manu Tuilagi to remain in the Premiership amid talks that he will leave Sale Sharks at the end of the season.
Tuilagi returns to the international fold this weekend and is set to earn his 60th cap for the Red Rose in what could be his final game for England.
The Sale Sharks powerhouse has been linked with a move to the Top 14 at the end of the season, and a host of clubs are interested in his services.
Borthwick ‘hopeful’ that Tuilagi will stay
Tuilagi has been included on the bench for England’s visit to Lyon to tackle France in the final round of the 2024 Six Nations, filling the vacancy created by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s concussion-enforced absence.
The centre has been a central figure for four successive England coaches throughout his career despite his injury setbacks. But he could soon be following former teammates Owen Farrell, Henry Arundell, and Joe Marchant across The Channel.
However, Borthwick has encouraged the star midfielder to remain in the Premiership and reject the advances of the French clubs.
“I’m hopeful Manu will be staying in England. There are no plans confirmed as yet, to my understanding,” Borthwick said.
“Ultimately, it’s up to Manu and the opportunities that present themselves. From my point of view, he knows I would want him to be in England – I want all our best players playing in England.”
England to tap into Manu Tuilagi’s ‘wisdom’ for final Six Nations appearance
Adding value
This weekend is the first time that Tuilagi has been named in the matchday squad this Six Nations due to a groin problem he sustained in mid-December and, although he is in the twilight of his career, Borthwick believes that Tuilagi still has plenty to offer England – both on and off the field.
“Manu adds huge amounts to this squad. He’s a player who impacts upon people and he impacts upon games. I’m looking forward to seeing him impact upon this game on Saturday night,” Borthwick said.
“Manu has been training well and has looked sharper and sharper. His training, work ethic and what he delivers on the field are always excellent.
“We’ve got a number of young players in this squad, and he takes the time and the care to help them and pass his knowledge on.
“The very best players make everyone else five per cent or 10 per cent better because of their presence, and Manu has that effect.
“He’s socially robust within the group, he’s brilliant at bringing people together. He’s the one at the coffee machine making coffee for everyone to sit, chat and spend time with each other. He brings people together.”
Ford-Furbank axis
Meanwhile, Borthwick has persisted with largely the same team that defeated Ireland in the penultimate round of the Six Nations. George Ford was notably retained as the starting fly-half despite his struggles off the tee and Marcus Smith’s heroics off the bench.
George Furbank has also been retained as the starting full-back and usurped Freddie Steward earlier in the tournament. Borthwick explained that the growing understanding between Ford and Furbank was key.
“The prime reason for the decision is that both of them played really well. George played a really good game in many ways and the blend of the two of them is an exciting blend,” he said.
“We are trying to build that consistency and cohesion. If players haven’t played with each other, you can’t expect them to read each other. Having consistency in selection helps this team build and that’s an important step for us.”
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