Steve Borthwick has never been afraid to make hard-line selection calls as England head coach \u2014 but his methods are increasingly under scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Watch the Guinness Six Nations at your local\u00a0Greene King sports pub<\/a>.<\/p>\n His handling of Tom Willis has ignited fresh debate, with TNT Sports pundit Austin Healey branding it \u201cchildish\u201d to overlook in-form players in key positions.<\/p>\n From a once-untouchable fullback to a dominant No.8 and a winger once likened to Jonah Lomu, these are the high-profile names who have fallen out of favour under Borthwick.<\/p>\n Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel <\/a>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/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. The England boss has refused to pick the powerhouse No 8 for the rest of the season \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.<\/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