Player of the Year Tom Willis 'twitchy' about one aspect of Bordeaux move

Tom Willis has “no regrets” over his decision to rejoin Bordeaux in a move that has placed his England career in limbo.

The Saracens number eight has been crowned Gallagher Prem Player of the Year for the destructive ball-carrying that propelled him to the top of the stats charts for most carries, defenders beaten and off-loads.

But in a blow to Saracens and England, Willis announced last October he would return to Bordeaux – the club where he spent 2022-23 after Wasps had folded – thereby making him unavailable for international selection from next season.

Even though he had been given an enhanced England EPS contract worth in the region of £160,000, head coach Steve Borthwick overlooked the 27-year-old for the autumn series and Six Nations in order to focus on players available for the 2027 World Cup.

It means one of the nation’s most valuable forwards has been been unable to add to his eight caps, but Willis is satisfied he made the right call.

“I’ve got no regrets,” he said. “I’ve had time now to just accept it and I’ve made my decision. I’m thinking more about what I’m going to rather than what I’m leaving behind.

“There were a lot of factors involved like leaving the country, moving away from family and then rugby factors as well, but for me it was too exciting an opportunity to turn down.

“Having played at Bordeaux already made the decision a lot easier and when I left France it was always in my head that it was such an enjoyable experience that I’d like to go back one day.

“And the opportunity came up and it was too exciting to miss. I didn’t want it to pass me by and that was that.”

Willis will be joining giants of Europe after Bordeaux retained their Champions Cup title in May after crushing Bath and Leinster at the business end of the competition, although their domestic form has been disappointing having failed to qualify for the Top 14 play-offs.

One of the reasons behind Willis’ departure for France is to be closer to his older brother Jack, who has become a key player at Toulouse. The prospect of regular head-to-heads is unsettling for the younger Willis.

“It’s a weird one emotionally because we’re very close. I enjoyed the last one because we were at the StoneX (Saracens beat Toulouse 20-14 in January),” he said.

“If we’re in big games against each other, that’s when it will get a bit twitchy. We’ll see how we go.

“I’m massively excited. Look what Bordeaux have achieved in Europe the last two seasons. It’s incredible and the team I’m going to try and get into is incredible. I want to try and add to what they’re already doing.

“Playing at Bordeaux’s home ground, the Chaban-Delmas, is one of the best things I’ve experienced in rugby. To play there week in, week out is going to be incredibly cool.”