Tom Willis cements his status as the form player in France

Tom Willis has been named Top 14 Player of the Month for October after helping Bordeaux-Bègles win all four of their league matches and climb to second in the table.

With older brother Jack still sidelined at Toulouse, Willis has taken over the family spotlight in France, with his October award following a run of performances that have quickly established him as one of the Top 14’s most influential back-rowers.

The 27-year-old started and scored in the win over Lyon at the start of the month before producing another huge display against Clermont-Auvergne, where he made 18 tackles and four turnovers in a 23-22 victory at Stade Marcel-Michelin.

He was named in both Midi Olympique and L’Equipe’s Teams of the Week following that performance and came close to adding another try when Bordeaux drove over from a maul, only for Maxime Lucu to take possession before the grounding.

Willis was then named on the bench against La Rochelle but was called into action after only 20 minutes, before returning to the starting XV for Bordeaux’s latest victory over Bayonne.

Those four wins have lifted the reigning European champions to second in the Top 14, only one point behind Toulouse, and strengthened Willis’ growing reputation in France.

The eight-cap international joined Bordeaux after leaving Saracens and has quickly become a key figure in Yannick Bru’s pack, combining a defensive workload with breakdown influence and carrying power.

His form has also ensured the Willis name remains prominent in the Top 14 while older brother Jack continues his recovery from a thigh injury with Toulouse.

For England supporters, however, this may come as a tough read. Having seen Jack be crowned the Top 14 Player of the Year two seasons in a row, Tom’s performances will likely now come with the same frustration across the Channel.

A compelling case could be made that both brothers would feature in Steve Borthwick’s starting back-row should he be allowed to select them.