Cheeky Matt Toomua jokingly sledged his former Leicester Tigers team-mates ahead of England v Australia — before warning his Wallabies about Manu Tuilagi.

When asked by Sportsmail about his England mates George Ford, Jonny May, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Tuilagi, the ex-Tigers playmaker said with tongue firmly in cheek.

'I know all their weaknesses. Manu is a terrible snooker player, George Ford never pays for a beer, Ben Youngs isn't even the best rugby player in his family, the chicken Jonny May is very weird and Dan Cole doesn't have a personality! 

'No, I have a great relationship with them and they're all quality players. We were fortunate for the last couple of years when Manu came back from injury, we just saw him grow in stature. He probably grows the bigger the game as well. 

'He probably plays his best rugby in Tests, and that's the sign of a true champion player.

'Obviously Manu is a name that sticks out for a lot of reasons. He is a strong carrier and makes a lot of big plays. But it is probably trying to shut down his time and space. 

'He is at 12 now, so he is a bit closer to the play, and it might be a little easier in that sense.

However, I'm sure they're working out ways to give him some ball one-on-one at full steam.'