Martin Johnson warns Manu Tuilagi about England future
Friday 26 June 2015 17:06, UK
Martin Johnson has warned centre Manu Tuilagi he is running the risk of never featuring in a World Cup again.
England’s winning captain in 2003 admits he fears the Leicester player’s six-month Test ban following a conviction for assault could have a far-reaching impact later in his career.
Tuilagi, 24, was banned from England duty until January after being convicted of assaulting two female police officers in May.
That automatically ruled him out of this year’s World Cup, which England will host in September and October.
Johnson was England’s manager in 2011 when Tuilagi jumped into Auckland Harbour from a ferry at the last finals tournament in New Zealand.
He has now given his backing to current head coach Stuart Lancaster’s decision to leave the Samoa-born star on the sidelines until next year.
“You never know do you?" Johnson said. “Four years is a very long time. Four years as a player is almost unimaginable, because things change so much.
“You never know when your last game is in some ways. Let's hope he's back and playing for England next year, but we'll see.
“If you let someone else in there, let's hope that person also takes their chance and plays very well too.”
Lancaster's early World Cup preparations have been beset by disciplinary problems, the England boss also choosing to drop Dylan Hartley after the hooker's latest ban.
Hartley was banned for four matches for head-butting Saracens hooker Jamie George in Northampton's Premiership semi-final in May.
The front-rower was then replaced by George in England's World Cup training squad and told he could no longer be trusted by Lancaster.
Fly-half Danny Cipriani is also still waiting to hear whether he will face any charges over an alleged drink-drive incident.
In the meantime, he has been retained in the England squad pending the outcome of that investigation.
Johnson's class of 2011 had their own issues in addition to Tuilagi’s ferry exploits, with Mike Tindall criticised for drinking in the build-up to matches.
The 45-year-old thinks Lancaster was right to ditch both Tuilagi and Hartley - but also backs the England boss' decision not to impose any curfews or alcohol bans.
Johnson, at Twickenham unveiling the 2015 World Cup ticket design, added: “Those players have probably taken it out of Stuart's hands in many ways.
"The decisions have ended up quite straightforward. If guys don't learn their lessons then ultimately there have to be repercussions and those are the consequences. I don't know if they fully understand those consequences right now but in time they will when they look back on it.
"I totally agree with him not imposing curfews or drink bans: if you're expected to make decisions and trusted to make them on the field you've got to be the same off the field too.”
