Tom Willis impressed with playing in France for Bordeaux after Oc' crash By RFU/Steve Bardens
You'd be forgiven if you felt that Tom Willis slipped in unnoticed on the cusp of his Test debut, which is quite a feat for a burly back rower weighing around 120kg (18st 13lb) .< /p>
Jack's 24-year-old younger brother has not played in the Premier League since September last year, though through no fault of his own, and never appears to have been in serious danger of earning a cap below Eddie Jones.
Thanks though successful performance for Bordeaux, Willis could become a full international if he comes off the bench on Saturday night in Cardiff. A place on Steve Borthwick's 33-man World Championship team could very well follow in less than 48 hours.
It would be a remarkable achievement to end a rollercoaster year marked by the passing of Wasps. But those who have followed Willis closely over the years will see his rise as inevitable. Matt Everard became the Wasps' transition coach, overseeing the youth as they integrated into the first team, the year Tom left school.
“John Pendlebury, then Wasp academy manager, in the first few weeks was adamant that Tom was going to play for England,” recalls Everard, who has risen through the ranks himself and is currently the defensive coach of Leicester Tigers.
“JP used to say that to me and Andrea Masi [former Italy center and Oc coach] all the time. He just put his head on the chopping block and he was all over the place: “Tom Willis will play for England guys so you need to make sure you help him get there.”
Willis made his debut with the Wasps in 2017. Photo: Getty Images/Michael Steele
Pendlebury, now head coach of the England under-18s, recognized a rare professionalism and ambition, as well as an outstanding quality: a powerful ball game that challenged defenders. Simply put, as Everard explains, Willis was “so hard to handle.”
“The unique ability to walk through brick walls”
Willis is impressed with his age group, representing England Under 18 and England Under 20 for two years each. Lee Blackett became a big fan. Having established himself in the 2019-20 Premier League season by starting the final at the age of 21, Tom has settled among a host of influential long-range rowers, from Brad Shields to Thomas Young through Nizaam Carr, Alfie Barberi and his brother. Blackett excluded him from the squads for matches only because of an injury.
Borthwick confirmed on Thursday that he sounded out Willis when he took over as head coach and moved the No. 8 from France during the Six Nations to train with the team. As a rule, Borthwick polled the opinions of the top 14. Coaches who played Bordeaux, who ultimately lost 24–13 to La Rochelle in the semi-finals on 14 June, reported that Willis was a handful, attracting attention even in the infamous match. uncompromising competition.
According to Opta, he dodged 31% of tackles he faced in the league, putting him in first place among hitters; even if Zach Mercer of Montpellier overtook him in the number of defenders beaten and meters after contact in 80 minutes (from 5.2 to 4.8 and from 26.1 to 22.9).
“He has the unique ability to walk through brick walls in front of him,” Everard adds of Willis. “He finds a way to get over the win line…and in a rugby test match against France or Springboks you have high brick walls.
“Billy Vunipola has been world-class doing this for years. If you want No. 8 with the ball to bring you the ball forward, I think Tom can do it.” >Willis could very well be on Steve Borthwick's 33-man World Cup team. Photo: Getty Images/Warren Little
Mark McCall is in the enviable position of having both Vunipola and Willis at his disposal for the Saracens' upcoming Premier League campaign. , with the latter becoming the flagship of the 2023-24 season. Borthwick, who thinks Mercer doesn't fit the bill, might decide he enjoys the same one-two at the World Championship.
“You won't believe how close Tom and Jack are”
A promotion above Alex Dombrandt, who started in all five Six Nations matches, would be a significant compliment to Willis' talent, as well as the way he must have trained this summer. It would also certainly bring us closer to an England squad that includes both Jack and Tom.
“You won't believe how close they are,” says Everard. “They work hard together, they are strict with each other, they piss each other off, but there is a huge amount of love and care in them and they also don’t hide it, which is very sweet. ”
Reading Abbey RFC products, where father Steve has been in the back row of the first team for decades, are both intuitive players with slightly different personalities.
Tom and Jack once represented Reading Abbey RFC. Photo: Willis family
“Tom is the sweetest guy,” Everard says. “Which is funny considering how close he and Jack are. I'm not saying Jack is bad – he's an absolute legend – but he has a hard edge. He moves other people because he doesn't accept less than the best. Tom has a solid lead on the field, but he's probably a little more emotional.”
Dan Robson, the former Wasps midfielder, this week shared a photo of his old clubmates exchanging messages in honor of Willis and Paolo Odogwu, who went on a bow with Italy against Ireland on Saturday night, winning their respective challenges. . Everard has another touching story, this time around Jack's horrific knee injury in 2021. Twickenham lost viewers due to the pandemic and Tom was devastated.
Always support and support the guys 🐝 proud of the two boys who will make their international debut this weekend. pic. twitter.com/VbMSJTiAPz
— Dan Robson (@d_jrobson) August 3, 2023
“I'm close with both guys – I love them so much – and when Jack got a bad knee injury while playing for England, I called Tom almost immediately,” says Everard.
“He was pretty much hysterical. He broke down. He just couldn't get over the fact that it couldn't be on TV because of Covid.
“We played Worcester in the Premier League the next day and I remember thinking, 'He's not can play tomorrow. Emotionally, he is not in a position to play this game.” I called Lee Blackett, explained how I felt. Lee agreed, but said, “Wait until tonight and try again.”
“We were always going to do what was best for Tom, 100 percent. I called him again late in the evening. He calmed down, but was still very upset. I told him, “You don't need to play this game at all.” He replied: “Man, I play this game.”
“No one stopped him that day … I will never forget it”
The Wasps won 17-13 in a drizzle of Sixways thanks to Willis' miracle attempt . He received a pass from Malakaya Fekitoa not far from the center line, about 15 meters from the touch. Two defensemen, Nick David and Matt Kvesich, were fired. The third, Jamie Shillcock, was tricked by a mannequin.
“Jack's try from his little brother Tom” ❤️
Tom Willis bounces off defenders, an absolutely devastating blow for @WaspsRugby! 💥#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/Gb8cNHcK2V
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt), February 14, 2021
Overall, Willis flew 94 meters and completed 18 tackles that day. No one on the field could match any of those numbers.
“He was just incredible,” laughs Everard. “He showed up and hardly said a word to anyone. When people asked him how he felt, he answered yes. It was like, “Wooster might be in trouble here.”
“Watch the game. For the attempt he scores, he just throws people off him. Nobody stopped him. Controlling your emotions and using them in a performance like that… I will never forget that.”
Bortwick frequently mentions his goal of putting together an imposing, intelligent and ruthless England team. At least one Willis could help him achieve the same.
Recent Comments