Manu Tuilagi will not be rushed back to help England at Six Nations, says Leicester chief

Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi has been out of action since October 2014
The 24-year-old had been pencilled in to face Newcastle on Boxing Day
However Leicester will not rush back the England ace after groin injury

Published:
14:39 GMT, 29 December 2015

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Updated:
15:46 GMT, 29 December 2015

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Leicester have declared that they won’t rush Manu Tuilagi’s long-awaited return to action in order to make him available to England for the Six Nations.

The 24-year-old, Anglo-Samoan centre has been out since October last year with a groin injury and, at long last, he is close to making his comeback for the Tigers – having just agreed a new contract to stay at the club.

It is understood that he had hoped to play some part against Newcastle on Boxing Day, but Leicester are being especially careful to manage his reintegration and guard against the threat of aggravating the problem which has frustratingly punctuated the career of their prized midfield asset.

Manu Tuilagi will not play for Leicester Tigers until he is fully fit following his lengthy groin injury

Leicester have said they will not rush Tuilagi back in order to help his chance of playing at the Six Nations

Asked on Tuesday for the latest bulletin on Tuilagi’s progress, Richard Cockerill, the Tigers’ director of rugby, insisted that he will not be pushed too hard, in order to aid England’s preparations for their Six Nations opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 6.

‘I have no interest in getting the players fit for England,’ he said. ‘The only thing for me is to get Manu, or whoever it is, back on the field.

‘Once they are back to playing then they are good to go. My objective isn’t to get them back for two or three weeks to get them fit for Eddie (Jones – England’s new head coach) or break them so they don’t go to England. My only focus is Manu’s welfare.

‘If he is fit and is playing for us and gets picked for England then that’s how it is and I will be pleased for him because he is playing.

‘Manu back on the field would be great for us but at this point he is our player, he’s not England’s player and we will manage him and look after him as we see fit – as we have done for however long it is.

Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill says his club will not risk Tuilagi to help England

‘He won’t be going anywhere until we’re satisfied and I am satisfied that he’s fit to play.

‘He is doing really well. I don’t want to put a timescale on it because I don’t want that to fall away. Certainly, he is looking promising and hopefully in the next few weeks he will be taking a full part in training and will be back on the field.’

Leicester will travel to north London to face unbeaten champions Saracens at Allianz Park on Saturday without their marquee South African recruit – former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers.

The centre is ill, so his debut for the Tigers has been put back by a week, at least.