Tuilagi visits witch doctor, rids himself of 'spirit wives'

Manu Tuilagi is yet to think about returning to England duty, after visiting a witch doctor in Samoa to help end his injury nightmare.

The Leicester Tigers powerhouse has been plagued by injury during the past three years, limiting his appearances for his club and restricting him to just one England cap since 2014.

In August, Tuilagi was sent home from an England training camp over "team culture issues" and then suffered a further blow when he strained the meniscus in his left knee during Leicester's Premiership opener against Bath.

And the 26-year-old spoke about enlisting the help of a witch doctor to ensure he receives a clean bill of health.

Speaking to ESPN, he said: "I went to see the witch doctor [last week] in Samoa to find out if there's a reason why I keep getting injured.

"It took four days for the treatment. I had to take a towel and a Fijian oil so that the witch doctor would have half Samoan and half Fijian. The treatment had to be with Fijian oils.

"She massaged my body for an hour-and-a-half, two hours. I went four days in a row. That protects you.

"I'm feeling good, better than when I went back. I'm looking forward to getting back playing. Hopefully when I come back and play for a long period of time, they'll have to sack all the physios!" Tuilagi also told Independent.ie. He told of the appearance of three lady spirits who had married themselves on to him for the last three years.

"The witch doctor told me that was why I had been injured. The spirits wanted me for themselves - they wanted to punish me and injuring me was the way to do it. Every time I played - bang!

Tuilagi has been tipped for a December comeback, but he is refusing to think too far ahead in terms of an England call up for the Six Nations.

"I just want to get back playing for my club and go from there," he added.

"I take things day by day, week by week. I always focus on playing for my club.

"There have been times when you doubt yourself, those dark moments where you think will I ever get back? There are people who help me, my family have been great. The family will always be there for me."

Eddie Jones said after Tuilagi's misdemeanour that he would have a chance to earn an international recall, and the centre revealed England's head coach has been staying in contact.

"He's [Jones] been checking in, seeing how the injury's going and when I'll be back playing," Tuilagi said.

"He's a good man, always checking in if I'm going well and says 'stick in there, you'll get through it'."