Sale still hope 'quick healer' Tuilagi can feature in playoffs

Sale will give Manu Tuilagi every chance to prove his fitness despite a hamstring injury that threatens the powerful England centre's involvement in a Premiership playoff semifinal away to Bath on Saturday.

There were fears Tuilagi's season had finished following an injury sustained at Saracens on 18 May, but Sale are still holding out hope the 33-year-old midfielder, who will join French club Bayonne next season, could yet feature at the Recreation Ground this weekend.

"Manu is out there on the training field," Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said on Tuesday. "We have given him as long as we can and he is a quick healer, so hope springs eternal that he will make it for the weekend.

"It's a high-grade one injury, so it's about as good as you can get in terms of injuries – if there is such a thing as good injuries. It's as good a news as we could have hoped for."

Saturday could see Sale flanker Tom Curry could playing his first match since England's World Cup bronze final in October following a recovery from hip surgery.

Northampton face Saracens in Friday's first semifinal.