Jack Willis has again left England’s training camp early and is set to answer a backrow crisis for Toulouse this weekend, giving Steve Borthwick a sizeable selection headache before his side host France on Saturday week.
Willis, who has impressed when starting England’s past two matches against Italy and Wales, is expected to go straight back into action for Toulouse on Sunday night, just six days before France are due at Twickenham. When he was in the same position before England began their Six Nations campaign, he was effectively ruled out of contention to face Scotland.
The openside flanker has been available for England’s Brighton training camp for this first part of this week because of a unique arrangement between the Rugby Football Union and Toulouse. But with no Six Nations matches this weekend he was due on Wednesday night to return to his club. He did not appear for Toulouse in the previous fallow week but Ugo Mola’s side have a key Top 14 clash with Racing 92 on Sunday night and have huge problems at backrow with four injured players, Francois Cros unavailable because of France commitments and Rynhardt Elstadt suspended.
When Willis left England’s pre-tournament training camp early he appeared off the bench in Toulouse’s victory against Montpellier on the Sunday night. He returned to England camp the next day but was unable to train until the Tuesday and ultimately not considered for selection against Scotland. A repeat of that scenario may leave Borthwick feeling the need to turn to Ben Earl or Ben Curry against France. In that instance, Willis’s absence would be a blow given how well he has played of late.
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Alternatively, Borthwick may decide that Willis is sufficiently up to speed to play against France despite his expected late return to the squad next week but he would still face an anxious wait for the 26-year-old to come through Toulouse’s match unscathed. Marcus Smith has returned to play for Harlequins this weekend and could yet appear against France but Willis has one day fewer to recover and additional travel logistics with which to contend.
Willis is eligible for England at present only because, after the demises of Wasps and Worcester, the Rugby Football Union bent its rules on allowing players from those clubs who moved overseas to be eligible for selection and has struck a deal with Toulouse over his availability for training camps outside official Test weeks. It is a temporary compromise with Borthwick last week calling for the RFU to review its eligibility criteria in the future.
France, meanwhile, have problems of their own, particularly at tighthead prop with both Uini Atonio and Mohamed Haouas banned for the trip to Twickenham after the latter was handed a four-week ban on Wednesday following his red card against Scotland. Sipili Falatea has come off the bench in all three of France’s matches to date while Demba Bamba, Thomas Laclayat and Dorian Aldegheri are all options available to Fabien Galthie and the England loosehead Mako Vunipola insists England are in for a battle whoever Les Bleus select.
“We know that whichever player they choose they’re going to do a job and the battle that’s coming our way as a forward pack,” Vunipola said. “We know it’s another step up from Wales to France.”
- Guardian
