Jack Willis on ‘making peace’ with England career, that Ireland rumour and the Toulouse player who is ‘the scariest but nicest bloke at the same time’
Jack Willis in the colours of Toulouse and, inset, representing England at Rugby World Cup 2023 (INPHO/James Crombie and PA Images)
Jack Willis has revealed he is now at peace with his decision to end his England career by staying on long term at Toulouse, adding that recent speculation linking him with a Test-level allegiance change to Ireland was never a runner.
Having jumped across the Channel in an emergency switch in 2022 following the sudden collapse of Wasps, Willis initially had a dispensation to continue to be selected by England.
However, that expired following Rugby World Cup 2023, and his decision some time after to agree a deal keeping him at Toulouse until 2029 has ensured he remains off-limits to Steve Borthwick due to the RFU’s rule limiting England selection to PREM-based players only.
Appearing on the For The Love Of Rugby show with former England Test teammates Ben Youngs and Dan Cole, the 29-year-old Willis claimed that if he were available for selection, he could offer more to the team than he previously did.
“There is always a part of it that is a bit tough…”
He also addressed the speculation that he should have been picked for last year’s British and Irish Lions tour and this year’s rumoured switch to Ireland, as well as giving an insightful rundown on who’s who in the Toulouse dressing room – including who is the scariest but nicest character he plays with and why Antoine Dupont isn’t the skilful player in the team.
Starting with the line he drew under his England career by deciding to stay on in the Top 14 with Toulouse, Willis said: “There will always be part of me that will look back thinking I had more in me from an international point of view. I don’t regret my decision to stay here.
“The way it came about, I didn’t choose to leave England, but I chose to stay. I love it, and I chose to stay. That’s the first thing, I don’t regret that.
“As an athlete, as a competitor, I don’t think I showed the best version of Jack Willis in an England shirt, and there are reasons for that I look at… I could have done better the way the World Cup unfolded in 2023; I didn’t have many involvements.
“But I have grown as a person and as a player, I think I could offer more now, but I also fully accept that when I re-signed this longer-term contract, I understood what came with that from an international perspective and you have got to make peace with that, why you are not getting in at that moment.
“There will always be part of me that thinks there was a bit more to give, but I also don’t regret the decision. This club is an incredible place to play at and the rules, you sort of have to make peace with that.
“I am a competitor and you always want to be playing on the biggest stage and international rugby is the biggest stage, but there is boys and mates I have playing with that team and I will always support them… and my brother (Tom) was also playing. I always have a keen eye on it, always have got mates playing and always will be supporting, but there is always a part of it that is a bit tough.”
Despite playing in France, Willis was touted as a must-pick for last year’s Lions tour to Australia. That call never came and he has now revealed there wasn’t even a sounding him out conversation. “No, never had anything. I also understand that to play at that level, you have to be performing at international level to truly be in the mix.”
This brought the conversation on to the stories earlier this year, claiming that Willis could restart his Test career – but in the colours of Ireland. However, with the IRFU having the same rule as the RFU regarding overseas-based players, it was never a serious option as he would have had to quit Toulouse and join an Irish province.
“I am quarter Irish,” he explained. “My granddad is fully Irish, but you know, if it involves moving, then that sort of puts me in the same situation as it would for England; it’s the same rule.
“So yeah, there are always different things you can think about, but you would knacker yourself out if you were always thinking about changing or moving and going here and there. Sometimes you have to accept your reality, and I feel like my reality is pretty good. I am pretty grateful for being part of this club.”
Focusing on Toulouse, Willis was adamant that he isn’t earning the megabucks that some people think he is. “You don’t want to play over-hardball (but) you know that you are not necessarily going to get your market value. Toulouse has got a reputation for you being under the market value because of the players they are trying to keep in the squad and the salary cap, but I am not pleading poverty; it’s a great life out here and I am very grateful.”
This gratitude was borne out in the interview by the way he described various players he plays with:
Thomas Ramos: “We all know he is a world-class rugby player, but he will definitely be a world-class coach one day, that’s for sure. He loves it, loves those moments (such as the winning kick for France versus England). The only time I have seen him miss kicks is when there is nothing on it, when there is no pressure.
“The more and more pressure that seems to be on it, the more he wants to give it a go. Fair play to him. He told me when he was at Colomiers, his kicking coach told him if he gets 100 per cent at the weekend he doesn’t have to kick during the week, so it was that motivation of the pressure, it’s built up and he carried that throughout. Now he’ll kick all the time (at Toulouse), but he has carried that mentality of dealing with that pressure.”
Romain Ntamack: “Classy. The history, his brother Theo plays here and having that in the club is such a cool thing. You’ve had that [Ben Youngs], I’ve had that playing alongside family [with Tom] and him having his dad playing and winning at the club before, that is pretty historic, pretty cool.”
Emmanuel Meafou: “He’s a top bloke. I love Manny.”
Peato Mauvaka: “The most skilful person ever. I know obviously we will talk about Dupont but it’s like he is Spiderman, you sort of kick or throw any ball at him and he’ll just pluck it out with one hand, and the stuff he can do on the field is very impressive. No fear, full confidence.”
Julian Marchand: “Tough, a proper grafter that you want to go to war with. He is unbelievable over the ball but a great leader, works hard and will stick his head where it hurts.”
Ange Capuozzo: “Rapid, as we all know. Very stylish. The Italian flair shines through.”
Blair Kinghorn: “Mental, but I love it. Very strange bloke but very funny as well. To have someone else British out here with an energy like his has been great.
Joel Merkler: “He is honestly the scariest but nicest bloke at the same time. He runs into things and it’s just horrible. I can’t remember what game it was this year, but someone was carrying with the latch and he has just taken both the carrier and the latcher out clean off their feet. Proper tough bloke. He is actually English as well, I don’t know if people know that. He is English qualified.
Antoine Dupont: “For me, everyone now sees the superstar, sees the rugby player, but he is genuinely just a humble guy who came from a country, farmer background and is very good at rugby. He is in the spotlight naturally with how good he is at rugby, but it’s not something he goes looking for. He is a humble bloke who works hard. Impressive. Very impressive bloke.”
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