Mark McCall claims Saracens ‘focal point’ will be ‘rewarded in the end’ as England calls grow louder
Saracens back-row Tom Willis and director of rugby Mark McCall.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall believes Tom Willis “will get rewarded in the end” with an England call-up if he continues his fine form at club level.
Willis delivered an excellent all-round performance for Sarries during their 35-26 triumph over Bristol Bears at StoneX Stadium on Saturday as he crossed for two of his team’s five tries.
McCall sang the 25-year-old‘s praises after the match, saying it’s only a matter of time before he is called up to Steve Borthwick’s England side if he maintains his rich vein of form.
‘He just needs to keep on doing what he’s doing’
“I can’t remember a match this year where he hasn’t been outstanding,” McCall told reporters after the match. “He just needs to keep on doing what he’s doing. If he keeps putting in performances like this, I think he will get rewarded in the end.
“He leads by example, by what he does, by getting over the gainline, by breaking tackles and making tackles – all of the things that you want your number eight to be able to do. He’s been a focal point all year.
“He’s very curious and he wants to get better. He wants to be playing for England and he’s willing to do anything that he has to to make that happen. He’s a great guy to have around the team.”
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam echoed McCall’s sentiments and said the ball is now in Borthwick’s court with regards to an international call-up for Willis.
“I was very impressed with Tom and I’ve been impressed with him all season,” he said. “The stats show he’s good, but I can also see that with my eyes.
“He sets stuff up and he’s been doing that all year. He’s a quality player who is in form.
‘Tom is playing consistently well’
“It’s over to Steve (for England selection) and there are some good back-rows, but certainly Tom is playing consistently well.”
Sarries‘ victory was a fitting reward for veteran hooker Jamie George, who made his 300th appearance for the North London-based outfit, and McCall also paid tribute to the 34-year-old after the game.
“Jamie showed all of his qualities out there – he was one of the best players on the field,” he said.
“He’s played 300 games for us, 97 for England and three for the British and Irish Lions because of his competitive spirit and desire.
“You don’t do it for this long unless you have that and very few people have the stamina to do it for a very long period of time.
“But he’s able to combine that with being a really good bloke off the field. He cares deeply about what he does, about his team-mates and about the club.”
READ MORE: Saracens v Bristol winners and losers: England hopeful shows he ‘cannot be ignored’ by Borthwick
