After a fallow week that included training in London, England are set to see the cavalry return – with Manu Tuilagi leading the charge – for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Wales at Twickenham.
Wales, meanwhile, have added Taulupe Faletau to their squad, further bolstering their back-row options, after he played 80 minutes for Bath on Saturday. Faletau has not played for Wales since last March.
England assembled at their Pennyhill Park base last night, with the talismanic Sale centre Tuilagi the headline act among a series of experienced returnees.
Courtney Lawes is fit to play having missed the first two games with concussion, while Joe Launchbury is also edging towards his first appearance of the campaign.
Jonny Hill is not yet ready to play due to his foot injury but is in camp. His Exeter team-mate Sam Simmonds, who sat out training last week with an “ongoing” hip injury is available to play.
Also included is another veteran, Joe Marler, who came off the bench in the first two matches of the campaign but was released back to play in Harlequins’ win over Wasps on Saturday. Marler looked in rude health in the win.
Tuilagi has not played in the Six Nations for almost two years, with his last appearance coming when red-carded late in a dizzying win over Wales at Twickenham shortly before the pandemic disrupted the 2020 campaign.
He returned to England colours last Autumn before injury struck once more, damaging his hamstring in the process of scoring against the Springboks.
Should Tuilagi get through the week’s training unscathed, it seems highly likely that he will be thrust in to start by Eddie Jones. An all-action cameo for Sale against Quins a fortnight ago proved his fitness, and it seems probable that he would slot into the midfield alongside the burgeoning creative partnership of Marcus Smith and Henry Slade.
England have lacked a ball-carrier of Tuilagi’s ballast in their backline, and finding a like-for-like understudy has proved impossible across Jones’ seven-season reign as Head Coach.
Following first round disappointments, England and Wales both secured their first wins of the campaign in round two – over Italy and Scotland respectively.
