5 Sep 2011

Sport: Tuilagi viewed as future of England rugby

10:19 am on 5 September 2011

England believe rising rugby star Manu Tuilagi is a rare talent who could become one of the sport's great players and have compared him with All Black midfielder Sonny Bill Williams.

The Samoan-born centre has had a meteoric rise this year and arrived in New Zealand with the England World Cup squad after just two international matches and less than a full season of Premiership play behind him.

Veteran first five Jonny Wilkinson rates him as the future of English rugby describing him as a rare talent who has the ability to change the course of a game like former NRL star Williams.