“A Tuilagi name on the teamsheet strikes fear into a lot of people.”.

It was time for “pads days,” a chance for Steve Borthwick’s team to put on their gear and let loose, smashing into one another to simulate the intensity of a bone-on-bone game.
Yep, it was right up there, the gangly kid remarked with a pleased grin.
“The boys really enjoyed that session, and the team felt really good about how we trained.

“The coaches here are really good at controlling how close we can get to a game situation.
We have options for certain actions.
On a day like today, we do a lot of training in suits, so we can engage in fairly intense contact while still trying to protect the boys.

“You have to be aware that we have a Test match at the end of the week, but the coaches are really good at managing what we do in the session and ensuring that we get the right amount of everything during the week without doing too much of anything,” said the coach.
You can get close to matching intensity with the drill at the beginning of the session by doing small bits like that without exhausting yourself or endangering the safety of the other boys.
“.

Chessum, who turned 23 a few days before Argentina was his team’s opponent in the tournament opener, is soaking up every second of his first finals like a huge wet sponge.
His personal journey to get to France only fuels his enthusiasm.
His World Cup dreams appeared to be over when he collapsed last March on the England practice field in Pennyhill, his ankle dislocated.

But Borthwick gave the second row plenty of room to get back.
Chessum worked through his rehabilitation as an additional player outside of the training squads named weekly over the summer because the coach took a shine to him at Leicester, allowing the apprentice to thrive in the Tigers’ run to the 2022 Gallagher Premiership title.

This faith was validated by his selection on August 7 to the official World Cup squad.
Twelve days later, in Dublin, with England down a player due to a red card and in need of some face-saving grunt, he was sent on fire-fighting duty as a sub. Chessum is about to start his third World Cup match seven weeks later.
Of course you’re living the dream!

“Talk to the guys who have been here; we have guys who have been to four World Cups, and they sort of said there is nothing like a World Cup and you sort of don’t believe it until you are here.
The atmosphere in the towns and cities where we have performed, the warmth of the welcome we have received in Le Touquet, and all the little events that have taken place in the town all demonstrate how invested people are outside of the camp.

“When you’re in the bubble, it’s hard to see what’s going on back home or how much people are enjoying it, or even how much they’re enjoying it while you’re here.
It’s been really awesome.
“.

“Difficult question, there have been many; I can’t pick one standout moment.
The environments we have played in over the past three weeks have been great for playing, and the first game against Argentina had a lively atmosphere. It was one of the best playing environments I’ve ever experienced, and hopefully there will be a few more.
“.

Tuilagi Day is observed on Saturday.
The narrative surrounding the pool finale in Lille has developed around England’s Samoan son playing against his native country for the very first time. England has already qualified as pool winners for an October 15 quarterfinal in Marseille, most likely against Fiji, and Samoa has been eliminated from the runners-up race by Japan and Argentina, who play each other in Nantes on Sunday.

Given how much Manu’s older brothers have also contributed to the legacy of Leicester over the years, it is a special occasion, and with Chessum now on the Welford Road roster, he is aware of the talk leading up to the match.
He concurred, saying “The Tuilagi name at Leicester is a huge one.”.

“Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to play with Manu in a Leicester shirt because he had moved on to Sale, but I have had the good fortune to do so here (with England). I don’t think you need me to tell you how important and integral he is to what we do here.”.

“You caught a glimpse of it in the Argentina game when he made that tackle and the entire stadium sort of felt that one, and that’s what he can bring to a game, those moments of just sheer physicality that not many players in the world can match that,” said one observer.

When you play against them, there is a lot of fear on the teams.
Tuilagi is huge for us because of what he can do both on and off the ball.
When you see his name on the team roster, many people get a little nervous.
“.

But the entire family is affected, not just Manu.
“Scary, scary players only. We were shown a Henry clip during the week that Manu resolved things, and it’s amazing to see the size of that man.
Manu had arranged a short video for the boys who were with him; it was part of a running joke at the camp.