Tom Willis can give England a thunderous new dimension on his first start in Test rugby – having been likened to a mighty Springbok legend who goes by the nickname ‘Thor’.
The 26-year-old Saracens No 8 has earned a place in Steve Borthwick’s starting XV as due reward for his remarkable impact this season at club level. He will line up for Le Crunch against France having gone toe-to-toe with the leading Gallic forwards during a year at Bordeaux, before returning home to become the Premiership’s supreme carrier – who has beaten far more defenders than anyone else during this campaign.
His area of greatest influence has become an area of concern for England. Having relied heavily on Manu Tuilagi and Billy Vunipola for gainline-busting feats, there has been a lack of such route-one clout since that pair joined the cross-Channel player exodus, to end their international careers.
Enter the younger Willis brother. While Jack is at Toulouse, meaning he is unavailable for selection, Tom is available and Borthwick has realised this formidable driving force is needed. His inclusion for a first Test start should mean that Le Crunch is felt by the French, not just the English. The home side have to meet fire with fire, so the newcomer at the base of the scrum has been chosen as a dangerous incendiary device.
Having had Ben Earl acting as a square peg in a round hole for the last 18 months, Borthwick has opted to deploy a specialist again. This makes sense, according to former England No 8 Nick Easter, who is now coaching with the USA – and with Chinnor in the Championship. ‘I think it’s the right call,’ he told Mail Sport. I fully back Willis’s inclusion, to get a better balance to England’s back row.’
Easter felt that England’s late resurgence in Dublin last weekend, before succumbing to a 27-22 defeat, was founded on securing front-foot ball thanks to hard carrying by the likes of Ollie Chessum and Ollie Lawrence. Willis can provide that momentum from the outset against France.
Tom Willis can give England a thunderous new dimension on his first start in Test rugby
The 26-year-old Saracens No 8 has earned a place in England’s starting XV for France clash
‘Willis will add a hell of a lot,’ he said. ‘He is brilliant. His stats speak for themselves. He has beaten the most defenders in the Premiership. He is the guy who will attract defenders and create space for others. He is a Duane Vermeulen-type No 8.’ It is Vermeulen who is known as Thor, as an acclaimed icon of South African rugby. England fans will be heartened by the comparison.
Easter added: ‘Willis won’t be in the wide channels doing the glory-hunting and the luxury role; he will be the guy getting his head down, doing the graft and just getting you a metre or two in tight situations, off slow ball. And when you’ve got a bit of a flow on, he’s going to be hard to stop. I’m a massive fan.
‘It’s also the right selection because he has experience of playing in France. He knows their guys and he will have even less respect – in the right way – than most of the other England players, because he will understand what they are about, in French rugby. So, he will bring that attitude as well as much-needed physical presence and power against a very big French pack.’
There is an aggressive edge to Willis’s game, which has been evident since he emerged as a young prospect at Wasps. He thrived amid the ferocious physicality of the Top 14 league in his season at Bordeaux and he has added steel to the Saracens pack since his arrival.
In this regard, Easter can also see hallmarks of Vermeulen and the Springboks. ‘What he has – and the South Africans have this too – is real toughness and resilience,’ he said. ‘A lot of guys who are naturally aggressive get bashed early in a game and can go missing. Tom Willis is resilient, so he will keep going, looking for battles and backing himself. That can be really inspiring.’
France will come to Twickenham armed with one of the world’s great No 8s – Gregory Alldritt – who has captained his country and led their gainline charge for many years. Willis is the same height as the La Rochelle talisman, five kilos heavier and able to play in a similar fashion.
France strolled to a 43-0 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener last Friday
There is an edge to Willis’s game, which has been evident since he emerged as a prospect
‘It’s not just doing the hard yards off nine and 10, it’s also off the ruck, which is coming back into the game,’ said Easter. ‘You see an opportunity and Alldritt does it very well – attacking those channels around the guard. He backs himself to stay on his feet and he bowls a heavy ball, to use cricket parlance.
‘He is hard to bring down. He has both feet on the deck often, twisting and turning. He has a big “toilet” on him – his bum – so guys hit him and can’t knock him out of his stride. He is able to ride those tackles with no run-up, off pick-and-go plays. The defence think they have to be further out, then he goes straight through the middle. Willis is very similar to him in that regard.’
There is no doubting that Willis is the leading, specialist No 8 in the country right now. He has earned his shot. Alex Dombrandt has had chances, without managing to establish himself as a starter. Zach Mercer came back from an acclaimed spell at Montpellier to reignite his Test career, but his face evidently doesn’t fit – certainly not with Borthwick in charge.
England sorely need someone who can bring the thunder in collisions, to drive them forward and produce that front-foot thrust they have too often lacked. If Willis shows he can match the great Alldritt and do a passable impersonation of ‘Thor’, he will be here to stay.
