6 Nations 2023 – Toulouse with Jack Willis (England), England

Since November, Stade Toulousein supporters and followers have discovered a new face in the person of Jack Willis, who arrived on the banks of the Garonne after the failure of his Wasps club. Excellent from the start of his Toulouse adventure, the English third line is also beginning to impose itself on the England international’s jersey.

Very quickly, in France, we found a world-class player, one more in the Toulouse ranks. Brutal in battles, agile and imperious in the ground game, the native of Reading adapted quickly to his new surroundings. who declared his love for Toulouse shortly after his arrival: “This club has an incredible winning spirit. Every week we make you understand the importance of winning and playing good rugby with this jersey. This is an environment where only you can grow. And improve yourself“.

On the Stadiste side, we were quickly won over by Wasps-trained player Antoine Dupont, who raved about Rouge et Noir’s new recruit: “Jack showed himself a great disposition from the beginning. In the game, he is a player who does a lot, he has a big physical presence on the field. Since his arrival, he has multiplied his good performance and he gives 100% for the team, which is good for us.. But this Saturday, ten French stadium designers will meet their club teammates as opponents.

A constant threat

He could be one of the best third lines of his generation along with another Toulouse Anthony Zelonge. Unfortunately, the long awaited fight between these two fighters will not take place. Having crossed the tricolor during the match against Scotland, they are now in a race against time in their hopes of competing in the World Cup. A great warrior, Willis is above all a true poison in the ruck areas, where he rules. So good in training, in his two spells against Italy and Wales, he could be the No. 1 threat during French attacks in London.

With a great physical density (1m91 for 111kg) and bursting energy in defence, Romain Ntamak’s role is essential for his teammates. To combat this Willis threat, Fabian Calthie, who has lost Anthony Gelonge, can rely on the return of another Toulouse man, Francois Gross, who was excellent in place of Gelonge against Scotland. With eleven Toulouse in the temple of rugby, the crunch that could draw the final classification for this 2023 tournament has a faint whiff of Occitanie.