Jack Willis is making a strong case for the Lions ? even if he never plays for England again
Flanker?s continued success in France has highlighted what England are missing but Andy Farrell will certainly be taking note for the Lions
1 July 2024 ? 12:55pm
Another year, another article about Jack Willis inspiring Toulouse to Top 14 glory.
Twelve months ago, the former Wasps flanker excelled in a dramatic victory over La Rochelle that was sealed by Romain Ntamack?s astonishing last-gasp try. On Friday, the margins were not as tight. Toulouse romped home at Stade V?lodrome to beat Bordeaux-B?gles 59-3.
Willis was even better this time around, producing a performance that reinforced how his game has developed since arriving in France. He was a keynote carrier for Toulouse, finishing with 71 running metres and beating six defenders before being replaced in the 76th minute. The 27-year-old trucked through heavy traffic from restarts and earned impetus around the rucks, especially early on.
Set alongside his display in the Champions Cup decider against Leinster, which amounted to an exhibition of combative and relentless defence, Willis?s efforts underlined his stature as a rounded operator who rises to the biggest occasions. The peerless Antoine Dupont was anointed as player of the match in both finals. If you were to discount extra-terrestrials, though, Willis might have won those awards.
Inevitably, his success has spurred many to urge the Rugby Football Union to bend its own eligibility rules to allow Steve Borthwick to pick him for England. Of course, Willis cannot influence those high-level decisions. For now, he can only focus on delivering for Toulouse, which might be enough to earn a spot in the 2025 British and Irish Lions squad.
That tour to Australia will be upon us quickly, and Willis seems the sort of player ? adaptable, tough, technically polished ? who will be capable of thriving in such rarefied air. The speed with which he settled at Toulouse, apparently becoming a popular figure in a star-studded group, bodes well for the pastoral aspect of a Lions trip, too.
A two-minute passage in the final crystalised Willis?s all-round quality, which can be rather subtle. At the end of the opening quarter, with Peato Mauvaka having just scored to put Toulouse 15-3 ahead, Willis gathered Matthieu Jalibert?s restart. He stepped past a chasing Adam Coleman and thumped into Ben Tameifuna, pumping his legs to overpower the Tonga tighthead, who was suffering from a shoulder injury. Toulouse were awarded a penalty, and hit touch.
From there, Willis began in the receiver slot before joining the line-out as Mauvaka?s throw was airborne, lifting his former Wasps colleague, Thibaud Flament, in the middle. The Toulouse maul eked out a couple of metres before Ugo Mola?s men unfurled a delicious strike move that finished with a ludicrous Dupont chip-and-chase.
To say that Andy Farrell will have choice in the back row is a huge understatement. Glasgow Warriors? triumph in the United Rugby Championship has furthered the case of Scotland internationals such as Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge and Jack Dempsey. Wales could contribute Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell or Aaron Wainwright. Ireland have a fine cohort led by Caelan Doris, which brings us to England.
A year ago, on the back of the 2023 Top 14 final, this writer implored Borthwick to build his World Cup pack around Willis. Things did not work out that way. Willis made the final squad, but a subdued display in the ill-fated warm-up fixture against Fiji stunted him before the tournament even began. A neck injury would send him home prior to the knockout stages. Borthwick?s first-choice back-row trio ended up as Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry and Ben Earl anyway, rendering Willis as a peripheral figure.
During this year?s Six Nations, Sam Underhill made himself as close to indispensable as a player can in such a ferociously competitive area. Even without Willis, Borthwick?s back-row resources are so deep that Earl has been trialled as a centre.
As much as players from Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish could argue exceptional circumstances, the RFU would only consider changing eligibility rules, and therefore upsetting the ecosystem, if Borthwick were pushing hard to pick Willis.
There is little evidence to suggest this is the case. But it is Borthwick?s prerogative to trust his gut and develop cohesion among other back-rowers. The vagaries of season schedules and release windows do complicate matters. And why would Willis want to leave Toulouse now? Besides the lifestyle benefits, picking up trophies in a metropolitan team full of internationals, in front of adoring fans, looks a lot of fun. Toulouse have been linked with Japan scrum-half Naoto Saitō, which typifies their open-mindedness.
Willis?s current contract runs out at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. By then, his desire for more England caps might have intensified enough to leave Toulouse. Nothing is guaranteed ? as Zach Mercer has found out ? but there could be the tantalising possibility of playing Tests alongside his brother, Tom, who was part of Borthwick?s training camps in recent weeks.
Clearly, a return to the Premiership in the summer of 2026, giving Willis a season-long lead-in to the next World Cup, would need to make sense. Joining forces with Tom means a lot to him. Alternatively, one could see him being installed at a club that requires an on-field figurehead. According to league rules, Willis could be a designated ?marquee? or ?exempt? player, whose pay would not count towards the salary-cap ceiling. Money talks.
Willis would be some wild card for Borthwick to unfurl as England?s cycle nears the final straight. Lions selection comes into view before that, however. Ticking off the accolades with Toulouse, Willis is sure to be of interest to Andy Farrell.
Always a Wasp
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