Manu Tuilagi is staying in England, at Sale, for another year – and while there are rugby reasons for signing a new deal, it is also about cooking pancakes and waffles, and trips to feed the ducks.
The 31-year-old feels at home among the title-hunting Sharks and his family feel at home in the North West.
So, after months of talk that Tuilagi would be moving abroad, to Japan or France, it turns out he had his heart set on staying and Sale found the funds to make that happen.
Speaking exclusively to Mail Sport after signing a one-year contract extension, Tuilagi says: ‘I’m glad it’s sorted and I’m happy to be here. My family are happy and that’s the main thing for me.
‘My wife is happy and she’s the boss – she said we could stay! We’re happy to stay for another year, up north, where my kids are settled.’
Manu Tuilagi has bucked the trend of players moving abroad by signing a one-year deal at Sale
Despite lots of chatter that Tuilagi (middle) would move abroad, he and his family are staying
The England centre, 31, could also extend his international career beyond the World Cup
‘I wanted to stay but I spoke to Al and he was like, “There’s nothing there!”. I just thought, “Let’s hold off and something might come up”.
‘We did look around in case, but sometimes, when you make your mind up, you stick to that to the end – that’s what’s happened. We are blessed to be at this club.’
Tormented by injuries in recent seasons, Tuilagi requires care and attention to keep him in peak condition. He feels grateful for receiving that at Sale and loyal towards Sanderson and his coaching staff.
But there is a general state of contentment behind his decision to stay, which extends beyond the pitch.
This northern branch of the Tuilagi clan – Manu, wife Chantelle, daughter Leilani Lea’auta (five) and son Leo Vavae (two) – live in a picturesque village near the club’s training ground and have some well-established routines, which is where the pancakes, waffles and ducks come in.
Asked what goes on when he’s not training or playing, Tuilagi sys: ‘Waffles and pancakes in the morning for breakfast.
‘My daughter puts her order in the night before, then she goes to school and I take my boy to Lymm Dam (their local lake) to feed the ducks and get a coffee at a nice little coffee truck down there. Then back home, put him down for a nap and see what my missus wants me to do! She has a list of jobs!’
It turns out that cooking pancakes and waffles has become a personal obsession.
Tuilagi spends five minutes explaining his dedication to this new craft.
‘I always try to find the best recipe and it took a while, so we were having pancakes most days, to see if they were any good,’ he says.
‘You don’t want it too watery or too thick and you have to get the heat of the pan right. You have to get the pancake nice and fluffy; that’s the key. My kids have them with Nutella and strawberries.’
Speaking to Mail Sport, Tuilagi maintains enthusiasm for a sport he likens to playing chess
Tuilagi explained that England team-mate Jonny May would refer to him as chess piece ‘rook’
So, mornings have been a culinary work in progress and in the evenings, Manu and Chantelle will debate how quickly to plough through their latest favourite ‘box-set’ series.
‘My favourite is The Last Kingdom,’ he said. ‘It’s sort of the history of England, when the Vikings came to take over. The film just came out as well. It’s called Seven Kings Must Die. I love it.’
That’s not all he loves. Tuilagi is still in love with the game which has tested his mental resolve over so many injury-blighted years.
When he starts talking about his day job, there is just the same sense of profound enthusiasm as he has always exhibited – perhaps even more than ever.
‘I love rugby,’ he said, with a distant, wistful look. ‘The game is amazing. There’s so much more to it than people think. It’s beautiful – like chess! It can be very physical in chess, on the board! It depends how you want to play.’
The unexpected comparison prompts a question about what chess piece he would be and Tuilagi has an answer ready, as it has been discussed at length with an England team-mate.
‘Me and Jonny May talk about this a lot,’ he said. ‘In a game, Jonny would call me the rook. He says, “The rook’s coming, the rook’s coming!”. And he’s the bishop; corner to corner. Their firing range is all the way.’
Now Tuilagi will be on board at Sale for at least another season, it opens up the possibility that he could extend his Test career beyond the World Cup. Trying to clarify whether he intends to or not is a complex task though.
‘Sometimes you have a plan and think, “I want to be there or there” but all we have is now,’ he says.
‘The future never comes. I’d love to go to the World Cup and if I do everything right now, the next day, next week or whatever, then I have an opportunity to keep playing.’
Tuilagi feels at home at the title-chasing Sharks and his family feel at home in the North West
He is looking forward to facing his former club, Leicester, in a Premiership semi-final on May 13
Tuilagi certainly doesn’t come across as if he intends to stop playing any time soon and when asked how long he might carry on, he adds: ‘You can’t put a time on it. Just keep playing and see. I really don’t know. Only God knows how long. It’s not easy but that’s the beauty of it.’
It won’t be easy this summer, when Tuilagi and the rest of Steve Borthwick’s England squad are put through a gruelling, pre-World Cup training camp. Before that, it won’t be easy when Sale face his former club, Leicester, in a Premiership home semi-final on May 13. Manu can’t wait for that grand occasion.
‘It’s amazing for us,’ he says. ‘We haven’t been in a home semi-final for 16 years. That’s why you do the pre-season and go in every day; for those type of games. It’s a massive occasion for everyone at the club and we’ve got the champions coming up here. What a game.’
Tuilagi is well aware what the impact of success could be in a region he has made his home, adding: ‘All the guys are doing everything to try to spread the game. It’s hard because there’s football and rugby league as well, so it’s a massive chance for us to try to put the game out there in the north.’
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