"You've got to be ready every week. You've got to be ready whenever you are in the team, you've got to be ready to go"
Tuesday 1 October 2019 13:43, UK
Manu Tuilagi has backed Eddie Jones' decision to rest him in England's pool match against the USA, but says he is ready to return against Argentina.
Head coach Jones made wholesale changes for England's second Rugby World Cup game against the USA, who they thrashed 45-7, but is expected to announce a strong side to take on the Pumas on Saturday.
Tuilagi is likely to be involved after his impressive performance in the first match against Tonga, and he told Sky Sports News: "Eddie knows what he is doing, he has been in the game long enough.
"You've got to be ready every week. You've got to be ready whenever you are in the team, you've got to be ready to go."
Tuilagi has had a horrible run of injuries in recent years since his World Cup debut in 2011, but says he feels fit after re-establishing himself as a fixture in Jones' plans.
"For me I have just got to be ready, make sure my body is good, if I am there in the team I am ready to go," Tuilagi said.
Jones will announce his team to play Argentina on Thursday, with Henry Slade expected to ease himself back into action as a replacement after a knee injury which kept him out of the warm-up games.
With Slade still short of match practice, Tuilagi is favourite to start at outside centre on Saturday with England knowing a win over Argentina would guarantee their place in the quarter-finals.
After he missed out on the England squad for their game against USA, Tuilagi spent a day off with his daughter and he says he is now refreshed and ready to continue his World Cup campaign.
"[It was] really nice to get a couple of days and switch off for a bit," he said. "It has been a long campaign so far so it's nice to have those couple of days to see the family and just refresh.
"Now we are back we are excited to go again. [The] family will be here so hopefully it will be a good day for us."
