England?s loss is Toulouse?s gain with Jack Willis playing the rugby of his life

[Neils]

England?s loss is Toulouse?s gain with Jack Willis playing the rugby of his life

Flanker and his Toulouse team-mates wrecked Leinster?s breakdown en route to winning a sixth European Champions Cup
Ben Coles, Rugby Reporter 26 May 2024 ? 6:23pm


Back on home soil, Jack Willis gave everyone a reminder of what England are missing as he and his Toulouse team-mates wrecked Leinster?s breakdown en route to winning a sixth Champions Cup. The reason for Willis?s unavailability is of course well known ? one of England?s great back-row talents is now 27 and currently playing the rugby of his life in France, not in the Gallagher Premiership, which makes him unavailable for national selection.

England?s loss is very much Toulouse?s gain, and after the pain of major knee operations, the demise of his beloved Wasps and having to put his England career on hold after committing to stay in France, on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium there was only one emotion for Willis; pure elation.

?I don?t really know how to put it into words if I am being honest with you. The last couple of years, there have been lots of lows with Wasps and not playing as much as I would have wanted in certain games... so to be welcomed in here, I can?t tell you how grateful I am,? Willis said afterwards.

?Walking around on the stage, I was trying to get my head around it. Then when I went up to my family I lost it a little bit if I am honest. A few tears to say the least. I would not be anywhere without the support of all my family, my fianc?e is at the top of that list and my beautiful boy makes me smile every day and switch off from the rugby. That?s really important. If you concentrate too much [on rugby] you lost the plot.?


Toulouse had to produce one of the greatest defensive displays in the competition?s history to deny Leinster in the final for a third straight year, winning 19 turnovers and making 240 tackles with a 91 per cent success rate, astonishing figures even accounting for the period of extra-time. Leinster, by contrast, made 137 tackles.

Naturally, Willis was at the heart of Toulouse?s defensive excellence as they continually thwarted each Leinster entry into their 22, until Josh van der Flier?s try in the 94th minute. ?You don?t win trophies without defence and we know that,? Willis said, with Toulouse continually shutting down Leinster?s attacking structure through controlled disruption. They would leave bodies out of rucks and wait, wait some more, then pounce at the right opportunity.

There are few better at the breakdown than Willis but even he was outshone in that area by Antoine Dupont, who seemed to wake up and decide the final was the day to double down on his status as the best player in the game. Willis won two turnovers, Dupont four, including one after a length-of-the-field sprint following Dan Sheehan?s interception.

Dupont revealed afterwards that his time spent in Sevens ahead of the Olympics had led to more personal focus on the breakdown and jackaling. Based on the final, it is fair to say that time has been well invested. It was also hard to remember a better tactical kicking display from the scrum-half either, landing one particularly impressive 50:22 on a patch of grass the size of a side table. Willis, understandably, did not hold back when praising his team-mates.

?He can do everything,? he said. ?Hell of a player. The way he kicked and moved us into their part of the field was really important. If you give them access you know you are going to be in trouble. As far as I have seen, he?s probably the best rugby player of all time. He has helped me win two trophies.?

Toulouse are not done yet. They are in first place in the Top 14, gunning to retain their title from last year and to win the ?doubl?? this season, as Willis put it. Based on photos of the initial dressing room celebrations, the party will have been lively.

?I promise you I have dreamt of winning this trophy since I was a little boy,? Willis added.

After the past few years, no one deserves it more.

[Neils]

Sam Warburton hails ?phenomenal? Jack Willis after Toulouse?s Champions Cup final victory
David Skippers 11 hours ago

Nearly two years after his much-loved club Wasps ceased to exist, Jack Willis has been crowned an Investec Champions Cup winner after helping Toulouse to victory over Leinster on Saturday and earned high praise from former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton.

The French heavyweights won the the tournament for a sixth time courtesy of a 31-22 extra-time victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with Willis catching the eye with a superb all action display.

An ecstatic Willis, who joined Toulouse in November 2022 after Wasps entered administration the previous month, said he ?can?t put it into words how amazing this feels? after winning the Champions Cup for the first time with Les Rouge et Noir.

The 27-year-old flanker was on the pitch for the entire match and was one of the best players on display.
Brilliant on defence

In tandem with his captain, Antoine Dupont, the England international dominated the breakdowns as Toulouse won a remarkable 19 turnovers and Willis also delivered an outstanding defensive display as he made a match-high 29 tackles ? more than double the amount of hits made by Leinster?s leading tackler Caelan Doris, who made 14 hits.

?The way it went back and forth in Leinster?s favour, our favour, you never knew what was going to happen,? Willis said on TNT Sports.

?With a couple of minutes to go, we obviously go into extra time, having nothing in the tank, to be honest with you. But I think we believed we could do it. We have an unbelievable respect for Leinster, what a team they are.

?God we?ve had to work hard this week and in previous weeks building up to hoping this game would happen. I just can?t put it into words how amazing this feels.?

It was an epic encounter with both sides giving their all for the entire 100 minutes but Toulouse?s brilliance on attack and breakdown dominance helped them over the line in the end.

?It was tough to get over the gain-line, put it that way,? Willis said.

Toulouse win extra-time thriller against Leinster to claim SIXTH Champions Cup title

?Every time you carry you feel like you got melted, and we were trying our best to do the same.

?Leinster are an incredible team. We knew if we played our rugby we could go and get the result.

?I think what swung it was managing to get over in the corner, that try [from Matthis Lebel]. It was so close, penalty penalty penalty, and then getting that, it made a real big difference.?

TNT Sports pundit Warburton had special words of praise for Willis after Saturday?s final.

?I don?t know Jack, but I feel like I want to find him just to tell him how much I think of him as a player,? said the former Wales skipper and back-row.

?I think he?s phenomenal. He?s fitted in so well to Toulouse. Brilliant ball in hand, exceptional at the breakdown which is where he made his name defensively in England.

?Any other day, without Antoine Dupont, he would have been my Man of the Match.?

In fine form for Toulouse

After the disappointment of what happened at Wasps, Willis has slotted in seamlessly at Toulouse and produced several outstanding performances since joining the Top 14 champions.

?It was so tough what we went through at Wasps,? he said. ?I miss so much about Wasps every day. I miss playing with my best mates, I miss playing with my brother.

?But this group is amazing and they?ve welcomed me in so well. I feel part of it here, from top to bottom, everyone in the club, not just the boys.

?To play in games like this, this is what it?s about. I love it. I?ve loved it and I?m loving it.?

[MartinB - Radnage Wasp]

I got quite emotional watching Jack yesterday and thinking what we have missed with seeing his development as part of what would have been a tremendous Wasps team......just look at how so many are playing so well now. Good on him and I will always support any team with one of boys in it.......though I do draw a line at Sarries I am afraid!!
Now to support Bath and Alfie next weekend!!