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Cape Town - Former England hooker Richard Cockerill believes that Manu Tuilagi could be the star of the Rugby World Cup and has urged the team’s management to pick him in the starting line-up.
Tuilagi is relatively inexperienced, having played only one match for England – a warm-up test against Wales last month in which he scored a try – and only 17 matches for his club side Leicester.
However, his muscular performances in those games were impressive enough to earn him a place in the England World Cup squad and according to the BBC Sport website, Cockerill believes that the powerful centre could provide England with the spark currently missing from their midfield.
"I think England have got to start him and, if he gets that opportunity, he could well be the star of the World Cup," said Cockerill.
"For me, he'd have to start somewhere in the England side, whether that's 12 or 13 or he could even play on the wing. He gives you that bit of an X-factor, he will score a try from nothing, as you saw against Wales. It was the deciding factor in the game.”
Tuilagi, 20, was born in Samoa but moved to England as a child to live with his five older brothers, who have all represented the Pacific Island team at test level and played for Leicester Tigers at one stage in their careers.
Cockerill, who played over 200 matches for Leicester and is currently the director of rugby at the club, added that Tuilagi was as powerful as any other centre in world rugby.
"If he's given his head to play, he could certainly be one of the stars of the World Cup. Physically, bar none, he's as good as anyone.”
"Nonu or Sonny Bill or any of those big South African centres that want to run at him, he'll hit you and he'll knock you over."
Tuilagi is relatively inexperienced, having played only one match for England – a warm-up test against Wales last month in which he scored a try – and only 17 matches for his club side Leicester.
However, his muscular performances in those games were impressive enough to earn him a place in the England World Cup squad and according to the BBC Sport website, Cockerill believes that the powerful centre could provide England with the spark currently missing from their midfield.
"I think England have got to start him and, if he gets that opportunity, he could well be the star of the World Cup," said Cockerill.
"For me, he'd have to start somewhere in the England side, whether that's 12 or 13 or he could even play on the wing. He gives you that bit of an X-factor, he will score a try from nothing, as you saw against Wales. It was the deciding factor in the game.”
Tuilagi, 20, was born in Samoa but moved to England as a child to live with his five older brothers, who have all represented the Pacific Island team at test level and played for Leicester Tigers at one stage in their careers.
Cockerill, who played over 200 matches for Leicester and is currently the director of rugby at the club, added that Tuilagi was as powerful as any other centre in world rugby.
"If he's given his head to play, he could certainly be one of the stars of the World Cup. Physically, bar none, he's as good as anyone.”
"Nonu or Sonny Bill or any of those big South African centres that want to run at him, he'll hit you and he'll knock you over."
