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England's rivals beware...Farrell explains why teammate Tuilagi is 'unique'

By Peter Hanson
Manu Tuilagi in England training

Co-captain Owen Farrell is excited by what the "unique" Manu Tuilagi brings to England following his return to the squad.

Powerhouse centre Tuilagi has played just five times for England in the past four years, and not at all since 2016, primarily due to a host of injuries.

However, Tuilagi was recalled for the upcoming November internationals, with head coach Eddie Jones hinting he is close to earning a return to the starting line-up.

The 27-year-old boosted his chances with a superb showing in Leicester Tigers' European Rugby Champions Cup win over Scarlets last week and Saracens fly-half Farrell has talked up the talents of his international team-mate.

Speaking to the RFU's official website, Farrell said: "Him [Tuilagi] running in a straight line is difficult to deal with, but it's not just that with Manu, he's got subtleties to his game too which makes him even more difficult to stop.

"He's not just your predictable big bloke that you can tackle low and stop; he is a brilliant line runner, he has good feet, good feel and he's unbelievably powerful – he showed that against the Scarlets.

"He is pretty unique. Everybody can see that, he's a game-breaker in terms of making something happen and that is exciting."

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