Six Nations: Manu Tuilagi to join Eddie Jones’ England squad for training

Tuilagi proved his fitness with a fine performance in Leicester’s seven-try demolition of the Premiership’s bottom club London Irish

Manu Tuilagi scored his first try since returning from injury (Getty Images)

Manu Tuilagi will link up with the England squad tomorrow before returning to play for Leicester next weekend, according to the club’s director of rugby, Richard Cockerill.

Tuilagi, 24, proved his fitness with a fine performance in Leicester’s seven-try demolition of the Premiership’s bottom club London Irish, the 47-20 win lifting them to fourth place in the table.

He will play for Leicester in their home game against second-placed Exeter next Sunday after two days with England but Cockerill refused to say whether he was ready to play for England against Wales at Twickenham on 12 March.

“We will have to see,” he said. “They have all the power so there is no point in having an argument. If Eddie Jones wants to play him he will play him. That’s the agreement, he is in the Elite Player Scheme. I’m not stupid enough to have a fight I can’t win, but England are playing well so there’s no need to pick him.”

Exeter consolidated their second place in the Premiership with a gritty 26-17 win over Bath yesterday – the visitors’ ninth defeat in 12 league games.

Rob Baxter, the Exeter director of rugby, was suitably delighted despite watching a healthy 16-0 lead eroded as Bath staged a strong rally before a try from replacement No 8 Kai Horstmann three minutes from time sealed the win.

“It’s nice to finally redress some of those losses, as we’ve been on the end of some narrow defeats,” Baxter said.

Wasps, who occupy third place, seven points behind Exeter, made it six consecutive wins in the Premiership with a 42-10 victory over a Harlequins side who were very much second best at the Ricoh Stadium. Three tries in each half, alongside a fine kicking display from Jimmy Gopperth, eased Wasps home.