Steve Borthwick has never been afraid to swing the axe since stepping into the England hot seat \u2014 even when it means ruffling a few feathers along the way.<\/p>\n
Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel <\/a>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cchildish\u201d and questioning why in-form players were being overlooked in crucial roles.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s reign.<\/p>\n Tom Willis <\/p>\n Club:\u00a0Saracens \u2192 Bordeaux B\u00e8gles (2025) Despite still being fully eligible for England, Tom Willis has effectively been blacklisted by Steve Borthwick after a phonecall in October .<\/p>\n The England boss has refused to pick the powerhouse No 8 for Autumn and will snub hum again for the 2026 Six Nations \u2014 even though Willis is on a \u00a3160,000 enhanced Elite Player Squad contract.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old will leave Saracens for Bordeaux B\u00e8gles 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.<\/p>\n Former England international Austin Healey branded Borthwick\u2019s stance \u201cchildish,\u201d pointing out that Willis is England\u2019s only true specialist No 8. It\u2019s now been confirmed that he will lose his RFU central contract when it expires at the end of December. <\/p>\n RUCK Verdict:\u00a0Still eligible, still in form \u2014 yet frozen out. If this isn\u2019t personal, it sure looks like it.<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n
Caps:\u00a08<\/p>\n