Manu Tuilagi calls time on England career with move to French club Bayonne

Manu Tuilagi has played his final game for England after agreeing to join French club Bayonne next season in a two-year-deal.

Tuilagi will depart Sale in June with the outcome of a medical the last hurdle before the move is finalised, the PA news agency understands.

Rugby Football Union regulations mean that any player leaving the Gallagher Premiership becomes ineligible for international selection.

Tuilagi has been an automatic pick in the midfield for four successive England coaches due to the power he provides on both sides of the ball.

Had he been fit for every match since his debut in 2011, he would have amassed 156 caps.

Ollie Lawrence’s rampaging performance against France, which included two tries, suggests England have finally found his successor as a hard running centre but Tuilagi’s unique physicality means he will never be truly replaced.

Bayonne are positioned ninth in the Top 14 table and the move is expected to be officially confirmed this week.