Daily Mirror - 04.03.2020

Grandmaster

bash

Tuilagi is not just England’s

battering-ram enforcer, he’s

also a deep-thinking chess nut

DM1ST
mirror.co.uk/sport WEDNESDAY 04.03.2020 DAILY MIRROR^43

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england v Wales

Guinness six nations 2020

Twickenham, SaTurday, ko 4.45Pm

sale can shine without ash

his side, who go top if they

beat London Irish on

Friday at the AJ Bell

Stadium, can cope.

“We have Marland

Yarde, Arron Reed,

Byron McGuigan,

Denny Solomona, Tom

Roebuck – plenty of

players,” he said. “We can

cope with one or two

people coming and going.”

“disagreement on how we

want to play the game”.

“He wants to do it one

way, I want to do it

another – that’s it,”

said Diamond (right).

“We had a

disagreement about

various things, it’s a bit of

a shame, but these things

happen. We have to move

on.” Diamond is confident

By neil squires

SALe boss Steve Diamond

thinks his high-flying side

can overcome the abrupt

departure of Chris Ashton

to maintain their push for

a first Premiership title in

14 years.

Second-placed Sharks

washed their hands of the

ex-england wing after

what Diamond called a

to 14 days. Vunipola will

now almost certainly miss

England’s final match in

Italy on Saturday

week, a fixture

already under threat

due to the scale of

the outbreak in the

north of the country.

yesterday’s development

follows Ireland postponing

Saturday’s game with Italy.

guarantee you it is not

coronavirus.”

Only England know

why they did not

instruct Vunipola to

take a different route,

given Hong Kong is

on the NHS list of 16

countries or areas posing a

“higher risk” of coronavirus

• and the recommended
  period of self-isolation is up

ISOLATED MAKO OUT OF WALES CLASH

Hong Kong, where there
have been 100 confirmed
cases, the 29-year-old was
instructed to stay at home.
“Mako is not in camp on
medical grounds,” a Rugby
Football Union spokesman
said. “He is not sick, but it is
a precaution.”
And forwards coach Matt
Proudfoot (right) said: “I can

playing alongside him, are getting

a taste of the treatment he inflicts

on the opposition, without even

picking up a ball.

Tuilagi said: “I only started

playing chess in Japan during the

World Cup, but I am obsessed.

“The way I play is pretty much

the same as my rugby. If I’m in

white, I’ll attack as you get to go

first. And when you attack you

have to go all in, because as soon

as you let your foot off the gas

you’ll be losing.”

The Irish team well beaten at

Twickenham would recognise that

approach. “I try to get us over the

gain line early on, get some

momentum,” he added. “It’s easier

to play off it, whether to kick or

carry on running.

“We got it last week and we had

a good start. Hopefully we will look

to do the same against Wales.”

After England’s win over Ireland,

forwards coach Matt Proudfoot

asked his family which player

caught their eye. All said Tuilagi.

“He just offers so much,” said

Proudfoot. “He gives you direction.

His personality is dependable.”

Slade must wait to see whether

Eddie Jones considers the time is

right to restore his centre partner-

ship with Tuilagi against Wales.

“Manu gives the team a massive

lift,” said the Exeter ace. “If you run

into him, he hits you bloody hard.”

MANU TUILAGI is

preparing for Wales by

rehearsing his wrecking-

ball tactics – on the

chess board.

England’s plans for Saturday’s

Twickenham clash may have been

disrupted by prop Mako Vunipola

having to self-isolate as a

coronavirus precaution after flying

home from Tonga via Hong Kong.

But Tuilagi focuses on the task

at hand by heading to the games

room at England’s hotel and

schooling his team-mates.

“He killed me at chess, he is

unbelievable at it,” said Henry

Slade. “It lasted about 30 seconds.

It was a rude awakening.”

England are at their best when

they make a

fast start on

the back of a

marauding

Tuilagi. New

Zealand could

not cope at

t h e Wo r l d

Cup, Ireland

were equally

powerless 10

days ago.

A n d n o w

his team-

mates, used to

By aleX sPinK

Rugby Correspondent

@alexspinkmirror

BIggAr SET

FOr SHOCK

COMEBACK

PainFul Biggar picked up an

injury playing for Northampton

By aleX Bywater

DAN BiggAr is set to hand

Wales a huge boost in their bid

to win at Twickenham for the

first time in the Six Nations

since 2012.

The fly-half suffered a knee

injury for Northampton Saints

last weekend but is expected to

be fine to face England.

Biggar has joined Liam

Williams, george North and

Josh Navidi back in full training.

Williams (ankle) and Navidi

(hamstring) have not played in

the tournament while North

has recovered from the head

knock he took against France.

With Jarrod Evans the only

other fit fly-half, Wales drafted

Sam Davies in to their training

camp as cover.

But Wales’ breakdown

technical advisor Sam

Warburton said: “Dan is looking

good. The initial signs are

positive. i would say we’re

confident at this stage.

“The feedback from the

physios has been good and he’s

ticking all the boxes. Training

will climax towards the end of

the week, but the first two days

have been all good.”

North suffered his sixth head

injury as a professional against

France but has passed the

required return-to-play

protocols and been assessed by

an independent specialist.

Warburton insists Wales

would be ready to throw full-

back Williams and back-row ace

Navidi straight into action

despite neither having played

Test rugby since the World Cup.

“if you ask Liam, he felt he

was ready to play against

France,” he said. “it will be

great to have some big-game

players back.”

FRoM BACk PAGe

Henry Slade and

chess demon Tuilagi

• who also taught
  Ireland a lesson
  (below)

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