Options for Lancaster if Tuilagi loses race to be ready

Manu Tuilagi, who scored one try and set-up two in England’s record 38-21 triumph over New Zealand on December 1, is struggling with an ankle injury.

The Leicester centre was withdrawn at the last minute from the Tigers side that beat Toulouse in the Heineken Cup last Sunday. England – who are preparing for the Six Nations this week at a training camp in Leeds – have already lost flanker Tom Johnson for the whole Six Nations, while prop Alex Corbisiero and fly-half Freddie Burns will both miss the start of the tournament.

Former Leeds player Calum Clark is also out for the “foreseeable future” because he needs shoulder surgery.

Lancaster said: “I need a decision to be made early, by the weekend preferably, because if Manu is not available then there will be decisions to be made. Richard Cockerill (Leicester coach) said Manu was 
70-30 in the lead-up to the game and they pushed him.

“Manu is pretty optimistic that he’s going to be alright but I don’t want to say now that he’s going to be fit or vice-versa. We’ll just have to wait and see how he gets on. It’s too early to tell.”

If Tuilagi does not recover in time, Lancaster’s most likely move would be to start with either Jonathan Joseph or Billy Twelvetrees alongside Brad Barritt.

Lancaster would also have the option of bringing Toby Flood back in at fly-half and shifting Owen Farrell into the centre.

Alex Goode has overcome a shoulder problem and will play for Saracens against Cardiff Blues in the LV Cup this weekend and could start at full-back.

“It is quite an interesting selection debate,” said Lancaster, at the Six Nations launch in London yesterday. “I don’t think selection going into the Scotland game is as simplistic as people perhaps think on the back of the All Blacks game.

“We’ve got a lot of decisions to make. Ben Foden is back, who obviously didn’t play in the autumn. Dylan Hartley is back (from suspension). Dave Strettle is in.

“There’s pressure and competition in every position.”

England have been fine-tuning their preparations at West Park RUFC in Bramhope.

Volunteers from the Leeds Carnegie academy, the University of Leeds men’s and women’s teams and Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley have worked eight-hour shifts on each of the last two days – for a combined 250 hours – to clear the snow and ensure the national team are able to train on the grass pitch at West Park today.

More than 6,000 invited guests from Yorkshire schools, colleges, universities and clubs are set to attend an open training session at Headingley Carnegie tomorrow.