Manu Tuilagi tipped to demolish Harlequins on Premiership restart after blowing new Sale team-mates away
MANU TUILAGI’S super skills have left his Sale Sharks pals speechless.
And tonight Steve Diamond promised Harlequins that the wrecking-ball will leave them breathless.
Summer-signing Tuilagi starts for second-placed Sale as Premiership rugby returns with a bang at Quins.
The Stoop might be silent in the stands, but on the pitch will be plenty of bone-crunching tackles and line breaks from 20-stone England and Lions star Tuilagi.
And Diamond also believes can have as big an impact as Jason Robinson did when they last won the title 14 years ago.
Ahead of unleashing his giants in Twickenham, Sale boss Diamond said: “I have seen a steeliness around Manu that you don’t see with many players.
“The last person who trained the way he trains, was Jason Robinson. Manu’s effect in training, people go: ‘Bloody hell, how has he done that?’
“We’re now leading the try-scoring in the competition. And what Manu, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Sam Hill and Sam James bring in the centres is a combination of power and skill.
“We’re going to run over people. The basis of our game is momentum and people like Manu give you momentum.
“I also get asked more questions on a night out now than I ever did about rugby. Is that because Manu has joined us? Part of it, yeah. He is a massive name.
“We would like to be a team that is recognised throughout Europe as a top side and I think we are at the early stages of doing that.
“Manu will be available for us next year, I reckon, for about 13 to 14 games.
“And if we get him playing 14 games, then we have done the job. If he does that – he will go on the Lions tour and then we will re-sign him for another three years.
“He has made the right decision leaving Leicester, and I have made the right decision bringing him in. And he will deliver.”
Quins stalwart Chris Robshaw captained Tuilagi for England.
So the outgoing 34-year-old flanker will be keeping close tabs on his former Test match buddy.
We’re going to run over people. The basis of our game is momentum and people like Manu give you momentum.
Sale's coach Steve Diamond
He said: “The physicality they have with Manu and Van Rensburg, we will have to try and attack their weaknesses.
“With Manu, when he is playing hard, and he is a very powerful man, he probably does need two people on him – and you have to go low.
“If you go high he can brush you off quite easily. It is a physical game and if you get that upper hand you will come out on top.
“We went up there to Sale earlier in the season and had a hiding, so we need to put that right.”
Quins are seven points off the play-offs and Paul Gustard’s side will need to put a big run over these last nine games to make it into the end-of-season shoot-out.
And Diamond reckons that even finishing in the top two and getting home advantage counts for little with no fans.
GUIDE TO THE RESTART
PREMIERSHIP RUGBY is back tonight! Here’s our handy guide.
RACE FOR THE TITLE
SALE snatched Manu Tuilagi from crisis-club Leicester in lockdown and with World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Lood de Jager firing, plus a huge pack, the big-spending Mancs will go all-out for glory.
Leaders Exeter are their biggest rivals. Bristol can also do well if they stop shipping tries and Northampton will throw it about in a glory bid. Wasps, Harlequins and Bath fancy themselves to gate-crash the party.
NEW FACES
TUILAGI was just one of the England players to switch clubs.
Jonny May also left Leicester for Gloucester while Kyle Sinckler swapped Harlequins for Bristol, who also swooped for Fijian star Semi Radradra.
London Irish have brought in Argentina captain Gus Creevy and Wallaby centurion Rob Simmons while Jonny Gray’s arrival at Exeter should boost their pack.
Nemani Nadolo’s arrival at Leicester is another to watch, even though the giant winger is now 32.
NEW BOSSES
STEVE BORTHWICK quit England to try and turn around Leicester but straight away lost Tuilagi and May.
George Skivington is in the Gloucester hotseat and Neal Hatley got the top job at Bath head coach yesterday.
NEW RULES
REFEREES are on card alert as they look to tidy up the breakdown.
A tackled player will be penalised for trying to sneak yards on the floor and the tackler must move straight away. Any player who tries to jackal the ball must make a clean bid on their feet.
Coming in at the breakdown must be done “straight through the gate” and NOT from the side.
SAME SARACENS SAGA
RELEGATED Saracens will go down swinging and fighting.
Expect them to have a say in who wins the title. Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Co need minutes ahead of their Euro clash with Leinster.
AND IT’S ALL ON TV
BT SPORT will show every match. Channel 5 also has four free-to-air games, starting at Exeter v Leicester tomorrow.
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He added: “If we can get a home draw, is it an advantage? Hmm, not really. Because an away draw is just as nice.
“If you go to Gloucester, say, on the Saturday for a play-off, there is no crowd so no real advantage – so this year is a one off.
“Generally you finish third or fourth, I don’t think they have ever gone through – at least not many times. It’s always first and second who have the advantage.”