England Player Profiles

Manusamoa Tuilagi

Key Facts

Squad	Leicester Tigers
Position	Centre
Age	21
Height	1.85m (6'1")
Weight	112kg (17st 8lb)
Caps	10
Twitter	@Manutuilagi

The youngest of six brothers in the Samoan rugby dynasty to have played for Leicester Tigers, Manusamoa Tuilagi has wasted no time in making an indelible impression by becoming both the Land Rover Discovery of the Season and the Rugby Players’ Association Young Player of the Year for 2010-11.

A debut try from a powerful and direct run against Wales at Twickenham last August confirmed his rapid emergence and prefaced a second try in the Ireland match at the Aviva Stadium that set England on their way to a 20-9 win over Ireland three weeks later.

He became England’s youngest RWC player at 20 years and 115 days against Argentina, being 15 days younger than Jonny Wilkinson, who set the previous record in 1999. Manu then scored his third Test try from a dynamic break in his second RWC appearance against Georgia and added a fourth touchdown against Romania six days later.

Manu began all five games in the 2011 tournament before sustaining a hamstring injury and broken cheekbone while playing for the Tigers. He returned to England’s starting side against Wales at Twickenham in late February and ran in his fifth try in nine Tests when France were beaten 24-22 in Paris a fortnight later.

In his 20 Aviva Premiership matches last season, he had scored seven tries, including two against both Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks, and was chosen for the England U20 squad before being elevated to the Saxons as an injury replacement for Mathew Tait, then of Sale Sharks.

Debut tries are not new to him. He also ran in one in his first match for England Saxons in the 45-17 win over Italy. A second start followed against Ireland Wolfhounds at Ravenhill, Belfast but he missed the Churchill Cup last June after being given a five-week ban for punching Northampton’s Chris Ashton.

Born in the village of Fatausi–Fogapoa, Manu rose through the England age group ranks, playing for the U16 and U18 teams. Four of his older siblings, Fereti (Freddie), Henry, Alesana, known as Alex, and Anitelea, better known as Andy, have represented Samoa but Manu’s allegiance lies with England after eight years in this country.

His ambitions to don the Red Rose jersey in a full international appeared to be dashed when the Home Office ruled he would not be allowed to stay in the UK, having arrived on a six-month holiday visa and stayed on since. He faced the threat of deportation but a campaign on his behalf prompted a successful appeal against the Home Office ruling.

The Tigers had considered the option of letting him leave the country to win caps for Samoa but Manu insisted he wanted to play for England. His reprieve was made possible by his club, the RFU and three local MPs, Edward Garnier, Keith Vaz and Andrew Robathan, supported by a local media and Facebook campaign.

Manu has already scored a try at Twickenham for John Cleveland College, Hinckley, who beat Hampton School in the Daily Mail U18 Vase final three years ago. Already, he has shown his physical prowess, a vivid ‘show and go’, and a subtle rugby brain since being absorbed into the Leicester Tigers Academy system.

His Premiership debut was off the bench against Northampton Saints in September 2010 but he had appeared against the Classic All Blacks back in 2008 and qualified for England after living in the country for more than the stipulated three years.