Is it really such a crime for the centre to move overseas and expect to add to his 43 caps after leaving Leicester for reasons not of his own making?
As he sat overlooking the Mediterranean, sipping a cafe au lait, Manu Tuilagi smiled wryly to himself. No need to jump into any harbours these days, he thought, pondering his lucrative move to the south of France after falling out with Leicester and enjoying a profitable stint in Japan. Didn’t moving to warmer climes do wonders for Jonny Wilkinson’s body back in the day? Perhaps he should have headed across the Channel years ago.
Fact or fiction? The latter, for now, but you can see how the idea might one day appeal to the England centre. It would potentially prolong his career, give him a fresh lease of life and allow him and his young family to enjoy another culture. Not only that but he would be guaranteed to enjoy one of the biggest farewell gifts in Premiership history. Every single diminutive back in the league would instantly contribute a week’s wages if it meant Manu, finally, was someone else’s problem.
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