The decision of Tom Willis to turn down the opportunity to attempt to win the World Cup with England in Australia in two years’ time is not an easy one to make sense of.
That is accentuated by the fact that his decision to return to France with Bordeaux-Begles next season comes just as he has emerged as the outstanding candidate to nail down the No 8 shirt – and in the prime of his career. The first reaction is one of bewilderment.
The 26-year-old has been outstanding this season, carrying on the form he demonstrated for England during their two Test victories over Argentina in July. Seasoned observers had recently compared him to the great Dean Richards, such was his destructive power and intelligent footballing ability.
There is no doubt he would have featured at the heart of Steve Borthwick’s back-row plans for the next two years after several seasons of searching for a solution to a scarcity of out-and-out No 8s in the Prem.
It was as recently as January that Willis, who had spent a season with Bordeaux after his former club Wasps went bust, explained that his decision to return to England by signing for Saracens, was to further his international aspirations. He was a player that no doubt the British and Irish Lions coaching team had also monitored closely.
There is no doubt that Bordeaux will have offered him an extremely lucrative package and yet Willis was one of those in receipt of one of the enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts designed to provide long-term financial security to prevent players from being tempted overseas.
It might seem churlish for England to now omit him for the squad for the autumn internationals, given that he is still eligible this season, but Borthwick is right to do so. The clock is already ticking on the countdown to the World Cup, and he cannot afford to waste Test appearances on a player who will not be in Australia.
