There have been times over the past 18 months when you would have forgiven Tom Willis for wondering just why he swapped Bordeaux for Barnet. Les Girondins lead the Top 14 in France, have swept all before them in the Champions Cup and play with a swagger that only Toulouse can rival. Saracens, meanwhile, offered Willis a route towards international recognition but until this month he has found himself on the outside looking in.
Moreover, there is not much precedent for English exiles across the Channel returning to make a successful crack at the international stage. Willis had only to look at his fellow No 8 Zach Mercer, who helped Montpellier secure a Top 14 title and won a player of the year award in his two seasons only to return to England and find himself cut from the 2023 World Cup. He has not been seen in Steve Borthwick’s squad again.
