1
England flanker Jack Willis to make long awaited return this weekend
A rising star of England in 2021, Jack Willis is set to make his long-awaited comeback for Wasps this weekend as they take on Gallagher Premiership rivals Harlequins at The Stoop.
ADVERTISEMENT
Willis returns to Lee Blackett’s matchday 23 for the first time since January 2021 after being named on the bench.
The 25-year-old suffered a brutal injury against Italy in last year’s Guinness Six Nations, when fellow flanker Sebastian Negri fell on his leg, severely damaging his knee ligaments. It was just his third England cap and he’s spent the last year recovering from a particularly nasty ACL injury.
It’s been a long road back to heath for Willis, who will be eager to once again start making a case for England selection.
Elswehere, there are six personnel changes and one positional switch from the team that beat Bath last Saturday.
Jack’s brother Tom Willis and Jacob Umaga also return to the side, as they start at number eight and full-back respectively.
Ryan Mills makes his first Wasps start since September 2020, after coming off the bench to assist two tries against Bath last week. He shares the center position with Sam Spink. In the absence of Joe Launchbury, who is away with England, Dan Robson captains the side from scrum-half. Robson and Charlie Atkinson are back as the half-back pairing.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ben Morris and Vaea Fifita join Tom Willis in the back row, while Brad Shields is sidelined with a rib injury and Alfie Barbeary is in England training camp.
In the back three, Umaga is joined by Paolo Odogwu and Josh Bassett.
WASPS TEAM:
1 Tom West
2 Tom Cruse
3 Biyi Alo
4 James Gaskell
5 Elliott Stooke
6 Vaea Fifita
7 Ben Morris
8 Tom Willis
9 Dan Robson
10 Charlie Atkinson
11 Josh Bassett
12 Ryan Mills
13 Sam Spink
14 Paolo Odogwu
15 Jacob Umaga
REPLACEMENTS: Gabriel Oghre, Robin Hislop, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Nizaam Carr, Jack Willis, Will Porter, Jimmy Gopperth, Marcus Watson (64)
ADVERTISEMENT
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
37 Go to comments