Manu Tuilagi of England. Photo / Getty Images
One of England's best players in their historic defeat of the All Blacks at Twickenham this morning was born in the village of Moto'otua, Samoa.
Manu Tuilagi, the Leicester and England centre, was outstanding in the 38-21 victory. Such was his dominance, he outshone two of the men tasked with
marking him - Dan Carter and Ma'a Nonu - and in fact made the pair, both world-class players, look a little ordinary at times. He scored two converted tries and set up Chris Ashton and Brad Barritt for others.
The first many New Zealanders knew of the 21-year-old was in last year's World Cup. The tournament had an unhappy ending for him - he was fined by team management for jumping from a ferry into the Waitemata Harbour after a day out on Waiheke Island - but he was one of the few among the English who emerged from the World Cup with their on-field reputations enhanced.
He brought new meaning to the word "direct" - both on offence and defence - and was a rare jewel for England; he was a back wearing white worth watching.
After the World Cup, in the bowels of Eden Park, following England's World Cup quarter-final loss to France, Tuilagi, then 20 and the youngest player to represent England at the global tournament, spoke of going back to Leicester and continuing his progress.
