Steve Borthwick is considering unleashing Henry Pollock at No 8 during England’s autumn internationals after dropping Tom Willis from his squad.
Willis was omitted from Borthwick’s 36-player selection ahead of the autumn after agreeing a move to France from Saracens, and while he will remain eligible for international selection until the end of the season, the England boss suggested that the 26-year-old’s Test career is over for now.
The decision to leave the Prem came just a few months after Willis was rewarded with an enhanced elite player squad (EPS) deal by Borthwick worth upwards of £150,000 per year, money that the No 8 will still receive despite his impending departure.
Willis had started England’s 2-0 Test series win over Argentina in July and three games in their Six Nations campaign, and had appeared likely to be involved in their Quilter Nations Series opener against Australia on 1 November.
In his stead, Ben Earl appears likely to reprise a role at the base of the scrum with which is he is highly familiar, but Borthwick is also keen to explore the potential that 20-year-old talent Pollock can offer.
The youngster made his England debut in the win over Wales at the end of the Six Nations and started twice in the No 8 shirt on the British and Irish Lions tour in the summer.
“The vast majority of games over the last two years have been started, at No 8, by Ben Earl,” Borthwick explained, also name-checking Chandler Cunningham-South and Emeka Ilione as possible options. “We all see Henry Pollock, with his ball-carrying ability, being strong in that position.
“The way we play, those positions are reasonably interchangeable, because they are good rugby players and I want them around the ball in attack and defence. Whether I am picking a No 8 and two sevens or a six and an eight, it doesn’t really matter.
“Tom told me his decision late last week, gave me a call and talked about some of the reasons he made the decision he has made to play in the future overseas. That was a private conversation so I am not going into those reasons but he knows how highly I rate him as a player and a person and I wished him well.
“I think he also understands why I have decided all the time we have should be invested in players who are going to be at the World Cup in two years’ time. We are aiming to win a World Cup for England, we want to win now and we want to win that World Cup in two years’ time.”
England also face Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina in an intriguing November campaign, with Borthwick hoping to build on the progress made both during an encouraging Six Nations and an impressive July tour.
The head coach has called in teenage phenom Noah Caluori to train with the squad this week after a standout, five-try performance for Saracens against Sale, and revealed that the 19-year-old could even play a part over the next few weeks.
“He has been on the radar for a considerable period of time,” Borthwick said of Caluori. “With those players, you want them to have an opportunity for senior rugby. Clearly the work he has done in preseason at Saracens and the start of the season he has had there, and it is immense credit to Saracens, he has had some experience.
“I think he could certainly feature this autumn. Wing is a position where we have plenty of depth and plenty of exciting talent and speed, which going back not so long ago English rugby didn't have. You can see the way the profile of the squad has changed. We would have had a big forward pack and not out and out speed. Now you see the strength we have in the outside backs, the playmakers in the half backs, the dynamism we have in the pack.”
England’s squad will reassemble next week to prepare for the Australia clash, with Tom Curry and Elliot Daly both major doubts as they recover from wrist and arm injuries respectively.
