Rekeiti Ma’asi-White: Sale and England centre on Manu Tuilagi comparisons

Opposite him at Welford Road will be a familiar face. He and Joe Woodward were England’s under-20’s centre partnership for a couple of years.

“He is a very good distributor, good link player, a ball carrier and he has got that kicking game too – a triple threat really,” Ma’asi-White says of his former team-mate.

“I think we worked quite well together, we had some good times.”

Only one will be celebrating on Saturday though.

Woodward and Leicester won at Welford Road last month, but Sale, 10 points up with half an hour to go, were left ruing indiscipline that let the hosts back into that game.

“There has been a lot of talk about us not being an 80-minutes team,” says Ma’asi-White.

“We let them in the game in that second half so there is a big emphasis on discipline going into this weekend and to try and minimise that penalty count and use the scrum and line out to give us that advantage across the full game.”

If they do, a Premiership final awaits for Sale.

And, for Ma’asi-White, the possibility of facing the Pumas with England will grow.

“Going down to Pennyhill Park for that two-day camp, it was exciting, to see all these big-time players was special,” he says.

“I went with the idea that I would just give it everything. In the taxi home, I was just spent, I had no energy left.

“I have to take it step by step and do my best here, but going to Argentina is the plan – that is my target.”

So far this season, those have worked out just fine.