If England are to beat the All Blacks on Saturday, they will have to do so without arguably their most in-form player. Jack Willis has been at the top of his game this season for Toulouse, putting in one superlative performance after another.
Dominant in the tackle, prominent with his ball-carrying and, perhaps most significantly, a menace at the breakdown where Willis won several turnovers. Just how vital Willis is to the European champions was apparent at the start of this month when he missed a couple of matches with a thigh injury: Toulouse lost at home to Bordeaux β their first defeat at home for two-and-a-half years β and away at Castres.
Willis appeared at the pre-match press conference before the trip to Pau, answering questions in fluent French, a skill he has quickly mastered, unlike many Anglophone players who struggle to string together a sentence in French even after two or three seasons of Top 14 rugby.
One of the questions put to Willis concerned his future. Has he decided where he will play his rugby in the coming seasons? Assuming his form continues into next year, Willis will be selected for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, and there is a good chance he will make the Test squad. Willis will be in his 33rd year by then, the age when most loose forwards are thinking of calling time on their careers. In each of those three finals, Willis was outstanding.
Big occasions overwhelm some players but not Willis, who thrives on the pressure. Having their hands tied behind their back over non-selection of overseas players is plain crazy. There is a crucial distinction, however, between Sinckler and Farrell, and Willis and Arundell. The former pair are in their 30s, and at the end of long and illustrious international careers; furthermore, they joined Toulon and Racing respectively primarily for financial gain.
