Tuilagi is leaner and meaner as Sale centre out to repeat glory days

Manu on a mission! Tuilagi is leaner and meaner after shedding almost a stone as Sale centre targets Premiership glory and England comeback

• Manu Tuilagi has focused on diet and fitness during the summer 
• The 30-year-old agreed a weight-loss pact with Rohan Janse van Rensburg
• He hopes to deliver another powerful display before joining up with England 

A slimmed-down Manu Tuilagi is ready to prove he can be fit for purpose and defy what he calls ‘old age’ to help ignite Sale’s Premiership title challenge and earn another England comeback.

The 30-year-old centre has shed nearly a stone after agreeing a weight-loss pact with fellow Sharks centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg — the South African who suggested at the end of last season that neither of them were in good enough shape. Sale had just lost their Premiership semi-final at Exeter and the observation from his team-mate resonated with Tuilagi.

Since that moment of truth, he and his fellow midfield ‘bruise brother’ have focused on diet and fitness, with significant results. Last Saturday, Tuilagi lasted the full 80 minutes — a rare feat — as Sale snatched a 20-19 home win over Bath to launch their league campaign.

Sale and England centre Manu Tuilagi has focused on diet and fitness during the summer

On Sunday, he will start against London Irish in Brentford, hoping to deliver another powerful, resilient performance before joining up with the England squad for a short training camp.

The drop in weight has paid off. ‘I was one or two kilos too heavy,’ said Tuilagi. ‘Running around for 80 minutes, those two kilos can weigh you down quite a bit so we thought, “Lose a bit of weight to be a bit more mobile, a bit more agile, and use less energy. Have a bit more precision in the way you can play the game”.’

Asked if he had become frustrated during matches at being unable to handle the pace, he added: ‘Probably, especially when the game gets tougher — but last weekend I felt a lot better.

‘It is just getting old — old age. The game is getting faster and the laws that are coming in; they want there to be more ball-in-play, so you have to adapt to that. For me, that is the only way to do it.

 Tuilagi hopes to deliver another powerful performance before joining up with England

‘That “wrecking ball” sort of centre… I am still heavy but it is more a mentality. You can be the smallest guy and still run through brick walls. I just want to get involved a bit more but not change my game too much.’

Tuilagi has been well supported by his club and especially the team-mate who delivered the vital jolt in the first place. He realises now that he needed to break bad habits. ‘I love my food,’ he said. ‘It is a mentality thing. You probably think you’ll be all right and get through it, until you think about it and you change your mentality.

‘Al (Alex Sanderson, Sale’s director of rugby) challenges us every day to be better, so you have to look at yourself and how you can do that. The Beast, Rohan, asked me a question and nothing hurts like the truth. Since then we said, “Let’s do it” (lose weight together).’

Eddie Jones is known to value Tuilagi’s credentials as a heavyweight force at Test level.

The 30-year-old has shed nearly a stone in a weight-loss pact with Rohan Janse van Rensburg

However, asked if England’s head coach is on board with his body transformation, the Samoa-born veteran said: ‘I have lost a bit of weight but I am not 90kg — I am still over 100kg. He loves it. He said, “Just keep fit and play well”, and that is what I am trying to. I am enjoying just being fit.’

It comes as another jolt to Tuilagi when he is reminded that it is more than a decade since he made his debut for England.

‘That makes me feel old,’ he joked. ‘I enjoy it more now than back then, maybe because I am getting older and don’t have that many years left. For me, it’s about knowing that I love rugby and enjoy it, but I know rugby is not everything in life.’

Having not claimed a Test cap since March last year, he is hoping to add to his tally, but he will not lose sleep about it. ‘If an opportunity comes I am ready, but if it doesn’t I am at peace with it,’ he said.

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