Is Jack Willis a 6 or a 7, and does it matter?
I still think of blind side flankers as being like Richard Hill.
Tough tackler, ball carrying option, slowing down opposition set piece. Generally someone to stop the opposition playing
Open side flankers on the other hand, like Neil Back, were meant to win ball at the ruck, link play between the forwards and backs, and try to take out the opposition play maker (legally, of course). They also seemed to be everywhere on the park at once and the first to the breakdown.
So, where does Jack fit in this?
His headline skill is definitely winning turnovers. So does that alone make him an open side?
His general approach to the game seems to be "tough as nails, don't miss tackles". That's obviously a general skill for a forward, but he physically looks more like a blind side.
I don't think of ball carrying when I think of Jack, but also I've never seen anything you suggest he doesn't or can't.
He doesn't feel like a link player in the way that Thomas Young does. You'll often see Thomas breaking off a ruck into space, draw a defender and pass to a centre or winger.
So, without any other names in the team sheet, where does Jack get selected?
My gut feel is that you get best use out of him by using him as we do. A blind side flanker who just happens to be better than anyone else at stealing the ball on the ground.