Lawrence Dallaglio has described Jack Willis' absence from the England international stage as 'tragic' and said the rule preventing overseas-based players from being selected is 'unacceptable'. The former England captain also said he understands why Willis has flirted with the possibility of representing Ireland.
Willis retains Top14 award
Willis this week retained his Top14 Player of the Season title after another stellar campaign with Toulouse, the club he joined in 2022 following the collapse of Wasps. He has not played for England since the 2023 World Cup because of the Rugby Football Union's policy restricting selection to players based in England. He is now eligible to represent Ireland through his grandfather, who was born in Belfast.
After accepting his award, Willis light-heartedly asked reporters to 'do some digging' and 'find the way (around the rules)', while admitting 'you know what you sacrifice' as an English player based abroad.
'England's loss could be Ireland's gain'
Dallaglio, speaking at this week's EPCR season launch in Lyon for Premier Sports, said the rule is about player control but that the opposite has proved to be true. He noted that Willis is 'five times the player he was when he left the UK' and called it 'crazy' that the best English player in France is ineligible for the national team.
“This rule is all about player control,” said Dallaglio. “There’s a concern that if players go away to places like France, they won’t be made available for internationals or that their diets, regime and development would suffer.
“The opposite has proved to be true. Jack Willis is five times the player he was when he left the UK. It’s tragic from a personal level and on a national level, it seems crazy that the best English player plying his trade in France is ineligible to play for the national team having already appeared for England previously.
“Jack is a wonderful guy and every single player wants to play international rugby at the highest level. He has made no secret of that but unfortunately at the time when his previous club went into administration, he had no choice but to move overseas. To make a player choose between his international future and his family’s future is unacceptable.”
Dallaglio, who won 85 England caps over a 12-year international career that peaked with World Cup victory in 2003, was also eligible for Ireland and Italy. He said he would not have hesitated to seek other options had he been in Willis' position.
“There’s no doubt that had I not got picked or had an illustrious career playing for England, I would have gone back to Ireland cap-in-hand and asked to play for Ireland,” he said. “We are now in that position where Jack is eligible to do so. They may come knocking, they may not – Andy Farrell is a pretty astute coach, so he’d be pretty silly not to ask the question. England’s loss could be Ireland’s gain.
Brother Tom also affected
Dallaglio also highlighted that Willis' brother, Tom, was England's best forward in the Premiership last year and their best performing player in the Champions Cup, and is already impressing at Bordeaux. He said England's World Cup competitiveness would be strengthened by including both brothers but that this cannot happen under existing rules.
“It seems incredible this rule is still in place. Jack’s brother, Tom, was England’s best forward in the PREM last year and certainly their best performing player in the Champions Cup last year, and is already tearing up trees after two or three games at Bordeaux. England’s competitiveness in the World Cup would be strengthened by the inclusion of Tom and Jack Willis but that can’t be done under the existing rules. That’s a shame.”
Dallaglio was speaking ahead of the new season of the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, which remain exclusively live on Premier Sports. French clubs have won the Champions Cup for the past six seasons, but Dallaglio believes the chasing pack can compete, with the new campaign beginning on October 16.
“The French teams are the ones to beat but it is not impossible,” he said. “Of the English sides, I thought Bath were the equal of Bordeaux last season in the semi-final.
“There were just a couple of moments where they didn’t quite take advantage, and few would have complained if Bath had gone on to win that game. They were very much part of that contest, so I still see them as the flag-bearers. I feel Saracens have got the bit between their teeth. They seem like a new and very different Saracens team, with Brendan (Venter) seeming very well established in that environment.
“And if South Africa decided, whether with Stormers or the Bulls, that they wanted to have a real crack at this competition, they have everything in their power to win it. They’ve got the players, the structure and the know-how.”
The new season kicks off on Friday October 16 with all twelve opening rounds live on Premier Sports, including Gloucester hosting Bordeaux Begles, Bath welcoming Montpellier, Bristol Bears facing DHL Stormers in South Africa, Leicester Tigers away to Pau, Exeter Chiefs travelling to Toulouse, and Northampton Saints hosting Cardiff.
