According to former England defence coach Paul Gustard, it was not the national side that beat New Zealand in that phenomenal match at Twickenham in 2012.
“It was Manu who beat New Zealand,” he said. “I know it was 10 years ago but Manu has these moments where he’s unplayable.I remember spending time with Wayne Smith and the Kiwi coaches and they were like: ‘F***ing hell. How do you play him?’
“I know the lift that Manu gives people in camp and the feeling from opposition teams about having Manu on a team sheet. Most international ‘Tier One’ nations are on a par, give or take a few points, so the mental side of the game is so vast and untapped. The mind will tell the body what it can or can’t do, and the mind will tell you something about someone before you’ve even touched them. Manu playing gives people a lift.”
That lift will be vital on Sunday, as Tuilagi runs out for a 49th cap at Twickenham. It has been a long, arduous journey to this point for the centre who made his England debut in 2011. Owen Farrell’s first cap for England did not come until a year later than Tuilagi’s in 2012, and yet the first-five-turned-centre will trot out as a centurion at Twickenham on Sunday.
“When you’ve got a reputation like Manu, you get a bit of a head start. Because people are worried about you. They know what you’re capable of doing. You know, it’s like playing against Ma’a Nonu. Ma’a Nonu proved himself to be one of the greatest centres of all time, and you had to be careful of him because you knew what he could do,” said Eddie Jones after naming his team.
Tuilagi’s aura still precedes him. The 31-year-old is leaner and more readily rested — as Jones did last weekend against Japan — but his reputation is still felt as fiercely as ever around the globe. Having been on the receiving end of one of Tuilagi’s most recent unplayable days at the World Cup semifinal in 2019 — as well as 2012 — the All Blacks’ halfback, Aaron Smith, this week name-dropped the centre alongside Jack Nowell and Ben Youngs as the three English players with “x-factor”; Smith’s head coach, Ian Foster, added that they are preparing for Tuilagi to be “at his best” this Sunday.
Dan Carter is left in the dust by Manu Tuilagi in 2012. Photo / Photosport
The crux, however, is that he might not need to be. Tuilagi has not been at his destructive best for either Sale or England this season but, as Gustard detailed earlier, his mere presence will be enough to give England a psychological lift. Dan Carter, the former New Zealand first five-eighths, would not go as far as to say that the All Blacks “fear” Tuilagi, but the respect was evident.
“My biggest and worst memory was him running over me at Twickenham [in 2012],” Carter told Telegraph Sport. “I kick-started his international career! He should thank me! It’s always tough when you get one-on-ones with him — I was hoping Ma’a Nonu would help me out a bit on that one occasion!
“Eddie Jones knows how valuable he is to the English side and what he brings. We saw it in 2019, in the semi-final, what a great player he is. He had a fantastic game. For big moments in big test matches, you want guys who can put a little bit of fear in the opposition.
“Not that the All Blacks fear him, because growing up in New Zealand we’re used to 120kg midfielders who can run as fast as wings. But he’s a player that’s very well respected by the All Blacks. It’s a credit to him as a player. He can be dominant and, at times, unpredictable. He can often be a challenge to come up against.
“When you have dual playmakers like Marcus and Owen, having Manu is really valuable. Like we did with the All Blacks with me and Aaron [Mauger] with Tana [Umaga] outside. Then later, Conrad Smith and I would work really well with Ma’a Nonu. Manu is such a valuable cog in that English backline.”
Manu Tuilagi has been a destructive force for England for over a decade. Photo / Photosport
On Sunday, New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane will line up opposite Tuilagi for the first time in his career. While the autumn evidence so far would suggest that the All Blacks’ outside centre will not be encountering his English counterpart at his most rampaging, Ioane is still expecting one of his greatest challenges.
“I’m expecting his best, really,” Ioane said. “Because that’s what we’re bringing.
“I probably was watching that game [in 2012 as a teenager]. But I’m just excited for the challenge. I haven’t spoken to [any former All Blacks about him]. I haven’t delved that far back.”
If the testimony of Carter, one of New Zealand’s greatest ever, is anything to go by, then maybe Ioane should have. Nevertheless, the All Blacks know what is coming, it is just a question of whether they can stop it.
