Manu Tuilagi’s worth to this England team has been well-documented, more so than his mischievous manner off the pitch that always dogged him in the background of his early career.
But the Tuilagi who helped orchestrate England’s dominant 24-12 victory over Ireland on Sunday is a far cry from that individual who was fished out of Auckland Harbour nine years ago after Rugby World Cup elimination.
The 28-year-old has matured by his own admission thanks to the birth of his daughter in 2018, while his four-year injury nightmare has taught him to embrace every minute on the pitch as the next long stretch off it may be lurking around the corner. But his individual maturity has benefitted more than just the centre alone, as his head coach Eddie Jones revealed after the latest Six Nations victory.
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