Steve Borthwick has never been afraid to swing the axe since stepping into the England hot seat — even when it means ruffling a few feathers along the way.
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His handling of Tom Willis ahead of the Autumn Tests raised eyebrows across the rugby landscape, with TNT Sports pundit Austin Healey branding the decision “childish” and questioning why in-form players were being overlooked in crucial roles.
From a once-trusted debutant to a destructive No.8 and even a winger likened to Jonah Lomu, these are the names who have quietly fallen out of favour during Borthwick’s reign.
Tom Willis
Club: Saracens → Bordeaux Bègles (2025)
Caps: 8
Despite still being fully eligible for England, Tom Willis has effectively been blacklisted by Steve Borthwick after a phonecall in October .
The England boss has refused to pick the powerhouse No 8 for Autumn and will snub hum again for the 2026 Six Nations — even though Willis is on a £160,000 enhanced Elite Player Squad contract.
The 26-year-old will leave Saracens for Bordeaux Bègles next summer, but his omission from the latest training squad shows just how ruthless Borthwick can be. Willis starred for England last year, starting six Tests and carrying that form into the new Premiership campaign.
Former England international Austin Healey branded Borthwick’s stance “childish,” pointing out that Willis is England’s only true specialist No 8. It’s now been confirmed that he will lose his RFU central contract when it expires at the end of December.
RUCK Verdict: Still eligible, still in form — yet frozen out. If this isn’t personal, it sure looks like it.
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