Tuilagi has not been at his best this season but his mere presence can lift England and unsettle their opponents
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—– 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 Saturday, as Tuilagi runs out for a scarcely believable 50th 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 fly-half-turned-centre will trot out as a centurion at Twickenham on Saturday.