Eddie Jones insists England have added an “edge to the team” after Manu Tuilagi and Courtney Lawes were recalled for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations clash with Wales.
The pair have overcome injuries in time to reinforce England for a pivotal clash at Twickenham, bringing 136 caps of experience to the starting XV as they make their first international appearances of 2022.
Tuilagi has completed his recovery from a torn hamstring to take his place at inside centre, with Jones warning Wales to expect the Sale battering ram to be at his rampaging best.
Lawes has been sidelined for over a month because of concussion but is immediately restored to the back row, in the process relieving Tom Curry of the captaincy.
“They’re both very experienced players, have won big Test matches and understand what’s needed for games like the one against Wales. They bring that bit of edge to the team,” head coach Jones said.
“Manu gives us a different way to attack in the backs. He’s a gainline accumulator. He wins the gain line consistently and draws defenders in, which creates space for other options.
“He does that better than anyone else in the world when he’s at full tilt. We’re planning for him to be at full tilt on Saturday.
“Courtney is a great ball-carrier and destructive defender. Courtney was going to be captain when Owen Farrell was unavailable, so it’s a natural change back to the guy who was going to be captain.
“He has good skills around the players. When he speaks they listen, he leads by example.
“We’re really pleased with the job Tom Curry did. He did an outstanding job as a young captain and he’s going to be an outstanding leadership prospect in the future.”
Tuilagi’s return to fitness means Jones can resurrect the midfield trio that promised so much against South Africa in the autumn until their inside centre damaged his hamstring while scoring in the opening minutes.
Even if Farrell were available and not recovering from ankle surgery, the combination of Marcus Smith, Tuilagi and Henry Slade is considered England’s most effective and well-balanced combination.
“You’ve got Marcus who has sleight of hand, quick feet and the ability to beat people one-on-one in space,” Jones said.
“You have Sladey who has an educated left foot, he’s a good passer of the ball and also has the ability to make breaks.
“To complement that you have power with Manu. He’s just a little powerhouse. And when I say little, he’s by far our biggest back. Which again gives us something a little bit different.
“When he’s not there we don’t have that big back to play off. It’s handy to have a big back because they dent the line and create space for the little guys to play small ball in that space.”
While it was seen as an imperative to include Tuilagi and Lawes as soon as possible, retaining Ben Youngs on the bench is a shock call.
Youngs will become England’s most-capped player on Saturday, surpassing Jason Leonard’s landmark of 114, but the achievement must be reached as a replacement for Harry Randall.
Randall impressed in the five-try rout of Italy in round two to the point that, for now at least, he has been elevated above Youngs in the scrum-half pecking order.
“We want to put some pace in the game early. We feel like there will be opportunities against Wales early in the game and Harry each week has been in increasingly better form,” Jones said.
“He’s sharp around the ruck, gives us that instinctiveness with his ability to take quick taps and run quickly. And then we have Ben Youngs to finish the game.
“These games go to the wire, it’s like a built-in narrative, and imagine having a half-back with 114 caps in the best form of his career coming on to manage that last 20 minutes.”
