Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

The mind trick Jack Willis is playing on himself to ensure his jackalling is ready for England

(Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Jack Willis has revealed the mind trick he has played on himself to enable his game to flourish to such an extent that many Premiership fans are clamouring for the Wasps back row to be called up to Eddie Jones’ England squad. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The 23-year-old had his first selection by England ruined in 2018, a Premiership tackle shortly after he was included for the tour to South Africa taking a devastating toll on his body and preventing him from being the best he could be for around 18 months. 

Just over two years on from that brutal setback, he is enjoying the form of his life in putting his body back in without hesitation to where it hurts at the breakdown. The reason? He constantly reminds himself that his injury was caused by a tackle and not when jackalling. 

Video Spacer

Watch the Lions in South Africa in 2021

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 1:45
Loaded: 18.83%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 1:45
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    Watch the Lions in South Africa in 2021

    Speaking to The Rugby Pod, the weekly show fronted by Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton, Willis explained the reason why he has no fear contesting the breakdown. “If I had done it jackalling it might have been different,” he said. 

    “I did it in a tackle and because at the time I was battling, the left ankle was really painful and what happened was I was putting more weight on my right leg. It suddenly got caught in a tackle.

    “I put that in the forefront of my mind, that without the ankle the knee wouldn’t have happened. Whether it is true or not it’s nice to have that in my head. For me, I wouldn’t be able to stick myself in those positions, stick my head in there if I was thinking about it too much.

    “As soon as you’re in the game it’s instinct and trying to get your head in there. I do a lot of mobility work to try and help me out when getting caught in uncomfortable positions. I have got a bit of a get-out with extra hip mobility etc. Yeah, I try not to keep it at the forefront of my mind going into games.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The rejuvenation of Willis is one of the main reasons why Wasps have enjoyed a playoff-chasing resurgence under new boss Lee Blackett, manoeuvring the young back row into the debate as to who should make the England squad for the resumption of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations and the one-off Eight Nations tournament set to be played before the year is over.  

    “When I had those injuries in 2018 it was a bit of a rollercoaster, getting named in the squad and a few weeks later injuring my ankle and my knee and then, all in all, spent not far off 18 months out and three operations later got back playing. 

    “It was tough, really tough, and the group I had around me, family, friends, got me through it. I’ve always had a passion and a drive and a desire to play for England one day. Sort of came pretty close by getting named in the squad and it wasn’t my time unfortunately with having the injury. 

    “I don’t think I’d change anything really. It gave me a really nice perspective of the game and life in rugby that you can’t get yourself too caught up in it all the time because you end up burning yourself out. So now I have definitely got a fresh perspective of it. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “I’m very grateful for every minute I get to spend on the pitch and yeah, look, it’s still a massive aim of mine, a dream since I was a young lad to try and put an England shirt on at some point but it’s never going to come if I’m not playing well for Wasps. That is my main focus.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

    Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

    South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

    Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

    The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

    The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

    Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    S
    Solenn Bonnet 9 days ago
    Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

    My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

    CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

    EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    WhatsApp.. +15617263697

    website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

    Telegram.. +15617263697

    0 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING Former rugby player takes World's Strongest Man crown in shock win Former rugby player takes World's Strongest Man crown in shock win
    Search