Jack Willis: England flanker to miss rest of Rugby World Cup with neck injury
- Published
Jack Willis' injury will prompt Steve Borthwick to call up a replacement for the knockout stage
England flanker Jack Willis is out of England's World Cup campaign after suffering a neck injury in the 71-0 win over Chile.
A replacement for the 26-year-old, who has endured a string of serious injuries, is expected to arrive in France at the start of next week.
Willis' brother Tom, who plays for Saracens, and Northampton's Tom Pearson are contenders to be called up.
Alex Dombrandt, Sam Underhill and Zach Mercer might also be considered.
"We are obviously really disappointed for Jack. He has been an important member of this team and this squad," said head coach Steve Borthwick.
"We anticipate the injury will just be a few weeks, but clearly with the timescales we operate in he will be replaced in the 33.
"He is naturally very, very disappointed. His return to being back on the field has already started - a determined man like that wants to be at his very best and getting stuck into the work that needs to be done."
Willis suffered a serious knee ligament injury in the Six Nations win over Italy in Rome in February 2021, which kept him out of action for more than a year.
Eight months after his return, his club side Wasps went into administration, prompting him to move to Toulouse.
He is available for selection for this tournament because of the extraordinary circumstances around that switch.
However, his decision to sign a three-year contract extension with Toulouse in April means that his England career is likely to be put on hold because of the Rugby Football Union's policy of not selecting players based overseas.
'You can just feel it' - Ford and Farrell renew partnership
George Ford and Owen Farrell playing for England Under-20s against Ireland in 2011
George Ford and Owen Farrell appear as the starting 10-12 partnership against Samoa on Saturday for the first time since England's 32-18 defeat by Ireland in March 2021.
The pair are childhood friends and their on-field relationship stretches back to England's age-grade sides.
Ford says their understanding may even have been improved by the time they spent apart as an England starting combination.
"You can just feel it, especially in training, even though we haven't played for a bit of time," he said.
"The understanding and connection is as strong as it has ever been.
"Maybe not having done it for a period of time could benefit us, because it probably sharpens you up a little bit.
"We have been having discussions all week about that partnership and combination and what we need from each other on the field, whereas when you have been doing it for a while you probably take that for granted a little bit."
Farrell says he and Ford have added more to their game since they were last in tandem.
"I am obviously pretty close to George anyway - we speak about everything rugby-wise regardless of what the team is," he said.
"We have both kicked on since we last played together and hopefully we show that at the weekend."
Farrell, who has the place-kicking duties on Saturday, is only two points short of surpassing Jonny Wilkinson as England's leading Test points scorer.
While Farrell said he had not given the landmark much thought, Ford had. The Sale fly-half said a personal record actually shows Farrell's commitment to the collective.
"The biggest thing is how consistent you have to be to give yourself an opportunity to do that," Ford said.
"Owen will be the first to say that he doesn't play the game to break records like that - he plays to do the best for the team.
"But because he has done the best thing for the team over that period of time he is going to do something special at the weekend.
"All the boys will be chuffed for him if and when he does it."