'It's scary to see how far he is going to go' - Jimmy Gopperth predicts high ceiling for Wasps teammate Jack Willis
Jimmy Gopperth says it is “scary” to see how far Wasps’ England hopeful Jack Willis will go in top-level rugby.
Uncapped flanker Willis produced a command performance in front of England head coach Eddie Jones as Wasps reached their first Premiership final for three years with a 47-24 drubbing of Bristol.
The 23-year-old scored a try, saved another with a brilliant tackle to deny Bristol fly-half Callum Sheedy and bossed the breakdown area like a seasoned veteran.
On current form, it would be a monumental surprise if he does not feature during England’s six-game autumn schedule, which has matches against the Barbarians, Six Nations opponents Italy and four Autumn Nations Cup fixtures.
Willis was selected by Jones for England’s 2018 South Africa tour, but a serious knee injury put paid to his chances and sidelined him from the sport for several months.
“Jack is going from strength to strength,” said Wasps centre Gopperth, whose 22-point haul underpinned Bristol’s demise.
“He is still so young. It’s scary to see how far he is going to go.
“The way he has battled back (from injury), his self-determination and the way he has stayed on point.
“It would have been very easy for a young guy to mentally switch off and go ‘Jeez, I got the call-up, this has happened to me, stuff this, stuff that’ and blame everyone else.
“But he has actually gone the other way and gone ‘I am going to work harder’. If he is not Premiership player of the year, something has gone wrong.”
Willis has proved instrumental in Wasps’ spectacular climb from the Premiership’s lower reaches they occupied earlier this year.
Under head coach Lee Blackett, they have risen rapidly, winning 12 of their last 13 games to book a Twickenham appointment with Exeter on October 24 in a repeat of the 2017 final that Chiefs won after extra-time.
Gopperth added: “Straight away, then (in 2017), it was ‘Wasps have got to the final!’ We didn’t really expect it.
“We were playing awesome rugby and we had some star-studded guys, but we probably played our final the week before. That last-ditch play-off win against Leicester was huge for us.
“We went down there (Twickenham) to sort of ride the wave, whereas I think we’ve now got enough experience in finals that it’s different now.
“We understand what is in front of us. A lot of hurt from that can go a long way for a bit of motivation.
“We’ve given ourselves an opportunity to be on the big stage. Before Christmas, people wouldn’t have backed that. The way we have fought together and trusted our process has been brilliant.”
Wasps are chasing a first Premiership title since 2008, when players like Lawrence Dallaglio, Josh Lewsey, Phil Vickery and James Haskell ruled the roost.
Unlike on that occasion, though, when the final was watched by a then world record crowd for a club game of 81,600, it will all unfold behind closed doors.
“Going down to Twickenham, it will be quite eerie,” Gopperth said.
“When you are playing with no fans, at the end of the day rugby is rugby and you can stay in the moment within your group, and when you are playing your focus is solely on the game.
“But when you score tries and make turnovers, that’s when the crowd erupts and you get that emotional drive.
“It’s weird, if you go on to win the thing, to be by yourselves. You would love the supporters to be there.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Hiding coming up for Saders.
1 Go to commentsDagg really does go down some rabbit holes doesnt he? In the name I guess.
6 Go to commentsHey Brett I’m one who is looking forward to seeing JS back on the rugby field. I was under the impression that a large portion of his contract was via a third party so RA isn’t having to foot the bill My big concern is around the Tahs and what is happening there, why are so many players bailing. Is it the program, the coaches or the culture. Joe Schmidt recently said he had been at the Tahs all week and DC is a good coach. Something doesn’t gel , 10 front row forwards in a season that’s not bad luck
13 Go to commentsIncorrect title. He hasn’t said Furlong is one of the best scrummagers. He said he is one of the best props.
1 Go to comments“_It seems like a crazy thing that he was counting them_“ Are you stupid, mate? Anyone with more than half a brain understands that he meant “a lot” or something similar. Do you really think he was counting? “*Goode*: Told you, Jim!“ No, you banana. You said, explicitly, that the Irish players didn’t say what EE said they did. Even though you weren’t there. Even though you didn’t hear a word they said. M0r0n.
107 Go to commentsI am sure that Scott Robertson did do the courtesy of telling Sam Cane that he was not in his All Black plans and NZR would support him if he wished to sign a lucrative pension playing out his career in the cream puff rugby that is Japan’s Top League. I fail to see this as a negative as Israel Dagg is trying to spin it. Razor allowed Cane to leave with dignity rather than being unceremoniously dumped as was Buck Shelford.
6 Go to commentsHey rugbypass can I also get involved with writing rugby articles?
1 Go to commentsHey rugbypass can I also get involved with writing rugby articles?
1 Go to commentsAT THE END OF THE DAY THE TEAM WITH 4 WORLD CUPS WILL ALWAYS GET TO TELL THE OTHER NATION TO SUCK MY BALLS. THIS IS A SCIENTIFIC AND IRREFUTABLE FACT.
107 Go to commentsWish him and his family the best in his retirement from International rugby and into the future.
1 Go to commentsSelf proclaimed expert/pundit Andy Goode and his very personal views on referees…Why recalling them in such an article as if he were an undisputed authority on the subject ? Only because fellow writer ?
1 Go to commentsLate growth spurts are a common problem over here. I’m well over 30, and I just started having a growth spurt too. Could be a world class prop soon.
1 Go to commentsas much as the challenge cup is a bit of a nothing competition, winning it would still mean something. last year it was won by toulon, who are now something like 4th in the top 14? The year before it was won by Lyon a season before they finished 3rd in the league. The year before that the final was contested by Montpellier and Leicester - 12 months before they both became domestic champions. That should give Gloucester fans some hope.
1 Go to commentsgreat article - although I can’t help wonder whether the more relevant debate over coming years will be between Ford and Fin Smith!
12 Go to commentsMaking Scott Barrett captain might be a masterstroke….will calm him down & stop brain fades and also take pressure off Ardie, so he can just play his natural monster game. Lets see how that all pans out🧐
8 Go to commentsI’m surprised Scotland are planning to rest key players this summer - I don’t think any other tier 1 nation will be doing the same?
3 Go to commentsGreat analysis Brett and what a shame that RA haven't spent more on the tight five instead. BTW I see the latest 8-9 Combo has dropped, looking forward to that. It's incredible the amount of damage that Hamish and Eddie's egos did in such a short space of time. From memory Eddie drove the initial drive to poach league stars way back in the 00s, with community rugby paying the price in reduced funding. Australia went from 15% of its income being spent on community rugby in 2002 to 2.4% in 2015, sheer madness and look where they are now. Hamish reminds me of Scrappy Doo. Always mouthing off, spoiling for a fight with bigger dogs who'd eat him alive. Sadly RA didn't have a Scooby Doo to bail him out.
13 Go to comments*_“I love watching bone-shuddering tackles, brutal clear-outs, monster ball carries, and crushingly intense scrummaging. I love it. These things make my heart rate spike. These aren’t the only things I love about rugby, but I feel no need to pretend I don’t love them, or to apologise for loving them just in case someone thinks I shouldn’t.”_* beautifully put Flats🔥
3 Go to comments“Hidden comments” all over the place😂 Turlough’s been a busy little boy ey🤭
107 Go to commentsit’ll all be released in an autobiography a few years from now….. “Razor shafted me” blah blah blah. thinking of making Scott Barrett captain might be a good move. Could calm down his brain fades & make him an even better player for them
6 Go to comments