Tom Willis exit: Ranking 10 England number eight options as ‘battering ram’ primed for position switch
Tom Willis (right) is set to be dropped from the England squad, after his move to the Top 14 was confirmed.
Saracens star Tom Willis is set to be omitted from England’s Autumn Nations Series squad next week following his now confirmed switch to the Top 14, according to reports.
The powerhouse number eight will return to French giants Bordeaux-Begles just two years after leaving the club to join Saracens, in a move that will rule him out of England contention for the foreseeable future.
“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Saracens and have made some friends for life,” Willis said on his departure.
“This was one of the hardest decisions of my life but it’s one that feels right for me.
“I will continue to give everything for this club for the remainder of the season and I’m very excited about what this squad can achieve.”
“Whilst we are disappointed that Tom will not be extending his time at the club, we fully respect his decision to pursue a new challenge in France,” Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, added.
“He has made a great impact on the field and been a popular team-mate off it.
“I know he is determined to give everything to the group over the coming months. Everyone at Saracens thank Tom for all his efforts in a Saracens jersey.”
His move has already had an effect on his England career, with the Daily Telegraph suggesting he is set to be omitted from Steve Borthwick’s wider Autumn Nations Series training squad as well as the upcoming three-day training camp.
That now leaves the head coach with a huge selection headache before their November campaign against the Wallabies, Fiji, the All Blacks and Argentina next month, with Willis featuring in seven of the past eight Tests, but who fills that void?
Front runner: Ben Earl
With Willis likely to miss out, it should see Ben Earl return back to the number eight spot.
The Saracens star was Borthwick’s go-to man at the back of the scrum at the start of his reign, and started there as recently as the Six Nations too, so could slot straight in should he be called upon.
He is one of the best battering rams at England’s disposal, and while Willis has taken a lot of the stress off him in recent times, he is more than willing to act as that main load-bearer in the tight.
Earl shifting over to eight also gives Borthwick a touch more freedom in the rest of his back-row, potentially seeing the likes of Henry Pollock or Sam Underhill come in at openside.
In the mix: Alex Dombrandt, Callum Chick
You would also expect Alex Dombrandt and Callum Chick to be right at the front of Borthwick’s mind now.
The pair have both impressed in their early PREM outings, and crucially have looked to shift their game to fit the style Borthwick wants from his eight.
In previous years, Dombrandt has been more of a game-breaking option used in broken field, but this season, he’s really looked to get involved in the tight exchanges. Around that, his work post-contact has come on a lot this term, which again suits what Borthwick wants out of his eight.
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Chick has always been a nitty-gritty player, but this year he’s taken it up another level to become Northampton’s focal point up front. He just has this rekindled fire in everything he does, driving him to be that consistent ball carrier in traffic or contribute to the defence. He just really suits the mould that Borthwick is looking for.
Outside bet: Chandler Cunningham-South, Greg Fisilau, Alfie Barbeary, Henry Pollock
Elsewhere, Chandler Cunningham-South, Greg Fisilau, Alfie Barbeary and Pollock will also have their names thrown into the hat for eight this autumn too.
Cunningham-South and Pollock are more than likely to feature in the wider squad, and while they are viewed more as flankers, and in Cunningham-South’s case also a lock, eight is certainly an option for them. These two just need to be put on the pitch somewhere to make a difference, and coming in at eight would almost give them that freedom to go out and fully express themselves.
Fisilau and Barbeary are your more traditional number eights, and again play that sort of style Borthwick is after. Both men thrive in the tight exchanges, and are among the best gainline carriers in the PREM as a result. They also both have that desire to consistently take the ball into contact, which only helps their case.
Bolters: Emeka Ilione, Fitz Harding, Miles Reid
The back-row is ultra competitive for England, but Emeka Ilione, Fitz Harding and Miles Reid are certainly pushing their name into the conversation right now.
All three have good experience at number eight, with Reid and Ilione featuring there a lot this season for Bath and Leicester respectively, and that could be a great way to bring the into the wider squad.
Crucially, they are all in very good form right now, and while there is a lot of other players vying for a spot in the wider squad, if any of these three made it you wouldn’t bat an eyelid.
