'Another year with Manu is dead exciting' - Tuilagi committed to keep playing

Alex Sanderson, the Sale Sharks director of rugby, believes Manu Tuilagi still wants to play for England and has no intention of following Owen Farrell’s decision to quit international rugby.

Tuilagi, 32, is expected to extend his stay at Sale and ensure he is available for England with negotiations still ongoing with the club over the player’s future.

George Ford, the England outside half, is also moving towards another deal to keep him in Manchester.

Farrell has opted out of playing for England to give himself and his family a break from the pressures and social media attacks that have been directed at the Saracens captain during and after the Rugby World Cup.

The impact Tuilagi, who has won 59 caps, made in the Investec Champions Cup win over Stade Francais showed the centre at his physical best and Sale will need a repeat of that form when they travel to Dublin to face Leinster at the weekend.

Sanderson paid tribute to Tuilagi’s performance after the 28-5 win over Stade Francais and despite the player’s ever expanding family of “three kids and a young one”, the appetite for test rugby remains strong.

Sanderson, who has lost Tom O’Flaherty, Dan Du Preez and Simon McIntyre for the trip to Dublin, said: “Steve Borthwick asked him (Manu) the same question and until someone says he is not physically able – his legs stop working – Manu still wants to play international rugby. Players with that kind of drive shows you where they are at. He still wants to perform at the highest level and another year with Manu is dead exciting and he is one of my favourite people.

“It is really difficult coming in and out of the international environment and change is the biggest stress, however, Manu is not phased.

"He comes in and is just bouncy and fortunately doesn’t get a lot of bad rap in the press. He has never talked about it being too much of a burden for his long suffering wife. When you are like that and it feels fresh and energising, why wouldn’t you continue?

“I was stood in the corridor with Manu today and told him I thought he was brilliant at the weekend and when does he want to go for that steak (to talk about a new contract). That is probably going to happen in the New Year now and talk seriously about the year after next. George (Ford) says he is happy and wants to continue and we have left it at that.”

Sale have Jean-Luc du Preez available after injury to face Leinster but his twin brother Dan is out for up to a month with a knee injury with McIntyre facing a similar lay off with his knee problem.

O’Flaherty tried to fly hack a ball at the end of the Stade game and has a grade four hamstring tear that will keep him out until after the Six Nations.