Tuesday Round-Up
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Tuesday Round-Up
Davies full of praise for Tuilagi
Leicester Tigers centre Manu Tuilagi can give England the X-factor in Saturday's potential Six Nations title-decider against Wales, according to his opposite number Jonathan Davies.
Tuilagi is back in the England squad after a 15-month absence from international duty because of injuries and disciplinary issues.
"I'm sure they'd want to throw him in there, whether or not to start is down to them," said Davies.
Tuilagi is viewed as an inside centre by new England coach Eddie Jones, and could come in direct opposition with Wales powerhouse Jamie Roberts.
"Hopefully I can get out of the way of that collision," joked Davies. "They're two great players, and if they do decide to play Tuilagi, it'll be a tough contest.
"He's shown in the past he has little subtleties, an offloading game - he is hard to bring down when he gets going and he creates space for other people."
Haskell wants rid of slo-mo
England flanker James Haskell has called for a ban on slow-motion replays on big screens at stadiums.
The Wasps player belives showing replays on the big screen is turning it into a 'big circus'.
“The slo-mo gives the wrong impression,” said Haskell.
“It is not great doing that kind of stuff because it is making a spectacle out of it when it doesn’t need to be.
"Reviewing is a good idea but playing it on the big screen, making it a big circus, is not constructive. Any tackle looks pretty bad when seen like that, slowed right down. You see people’s heads go backwards and all that kind of stuff.”
Haskell believes that the referee should look at a monitor on the side of the pitch on his own, with the crowd not being an influence.
“I firmly believe the officials should go to the side of the field, look at a monitor, review it on their own, take the crowd out of the equation,” said Haskell.
“They should see it in real time three or four times, then slow it down if they want to. I couldn’t believe it when I got called back by Romain. And then I was shocked when I saw how slowly they were replaying it.
"It was a 50-50 thing. I am 100% committed to the tackle but then pull out. If I had wanted to play to the edge, I would have gone straight through the top of him [Murray] and he really would have been in trouble, but I didn't."
