Manu

[covrich]

Any news on the latest for him? I am assuming he is out for the season.

I do not know if it is a case they do not know or if he is struggling to get any kind of fitness from it comfortably.

I do not want to be negative but it doesn't seem to good. I even think he is going to possibly be a doubt for the RWC.

[ourla]

Last I heard was:

He is making good progress and is doing straight line running, but he still has some way to go,’ said head coach Stuart Lancaster ahead of another Calcutta Cup encounter which will not feature Tuilagi. ‘I think he’ll come good at the end of the season. Certainly Phil Pask (physio) has done a good job with him, but it’s not in the near future. By the end of the season he’ll be back playing.

‘It is about making sure his groin and the healing around it is strong enough to cope with the forces he puts through it. He is a powerful man and he needs to make sure the groin has healed sufficiently. It is a step-by-step process to make sure he does not re-injure it, so that is why people are very cautious.’

Personally I just think the coaches, fans, etc. should put him out of their minds until such time as you see him on the pitch on match day. TBH even then he could breakdown.

[L Smith]

Changing his name to Man-who might be more appropriate

[Noggs]

Lancaster's comments suggest he should be fit for the RWC so let's hope so. He could well have been the difference had he been playing against France.

[chipnchase]

I'd rather see this dealt with sensibly. Are we likely to win the play offs if we qualify this year? No, we probably wont so lets not put the lad at risk.

Do we want to see him back in an England shirt for the world cup? 100%!

An extended break and having him fit and rested for the World Cup warm up games in August seems sensible.

[mightymouse]

Other than our front row Manu is probably our most valuable asset and assuming he is to stay he for the rest of his career(which is not always cast in stone as players follow money only these days) - he has to be protected. It would be galling if we rested him, got him fit for him to be bust up by England or indeed went of and signed elsewhere but rest him we should.

I think this season is a bit of a write off and a revived Manu leading a newly formed squad next year would be wonderful. He seems key to the way we set out our play and much more back play is created when he is in the team - he cracks the gaps for others like Goneva ,Morris Scully and Benjamin to exploit.

I think the other key thing I would like to see next season is to see a proper replacement for him when he is not available. I have always assumed Loamanu was that, and yet when we finally got to see him in action he looked poor. Maybe he needs game time etc but I hope that is not we are relying on next season as a gap fill for half the season

[Noddy555]

When you have a player as talented as Manu who is sorely missed whatever other bloggers say,Fitness is of paramount importance and he must be fit enough to play at least half a season for a top team. If he can't do that then no matter how talented he is, we have to say Manu thanks for your tremendous service but now is the time to say goodbye.

[Will S]

If missing half a season through injury was cause to say goodbye to a player we would have to shed a lot of players! I would guess most top players miss half a season at some point in their career.

[Iain]

When you have a player as talented as Manu who is sorely missed whatever other bloggers say,Fitness is of paramount importance and he must be fit enough to play at least half a season for a top team. If he can't do that then no matter how talented he is, we have to say Manu thanks for your tremendous service but now is the time to say goodbye.

He's still young enough to put this behind him. You forget at times he's only 23.

[chipnchase]

When you have a player as talented as Manu who is sorely missed whatever other bloggers say,Fitness is of paramount importance and he must be fit enough to play at least half a season for a top team. If he can't do that then no matter how talented he is, we have to say Manu thanks for your tremendous service but now is the time to say goodbye.

Wow! Just wow.

77 games in 4 years for Tigers, 28 international games (25 for England and 1 for the lions) and because he's not played since October we need to cut him loose?

Your nearly as ruthless as Cockerill.

[L Smith]

So Manu won't be playing in a tigers shirt until after the World Cup.
Time for plan B... (Whatever that looks like).

[InGuinnessVeritas]

Yesterday somebody was trying to spread a vicious rumour Manu was going to Newcastle to join up with the Geordie contingent of Tuilagis.

[Nailsworthstiger]

So not going to be available until the end of the season? This could in fact mean Tigers keeping the lid on things and he will really be available next week against the Safas. After all, its not in our interests to know the current injury updates as the opposition may get a chance to plan their game against us

[L Smith]

Perhaps a little wishful thinking!?
Bayfield was showing the article that was in the Rugby Paper.

[tigercaspian]

Cockers is quoted on BBC website today as saying Manu deffo not available until after end of season but shd be available for a World Cup.