Borthwick excited by 'very, very powerful' Ilione

Steve Borthwick has heralded nan powerfulness and intelligence of Leicester backmost statement Emeka Ilione arsenic England move their attraction distant from France-bound Tom Willis.

Ilione, 23, has been included successful England's group for a three-day training campy earlier adjacent month's 4 autumn internationals.

Willis has been near retired aft his summertime 2026 return to Bordeaux-Begles was announced complete nan weekend, pinch that move group to make him ineligible for England selection.

Assessing Ilione, England caput coach Borthwick told Rugby Union Weekly: "He's started nan play good astatine Leicester and he's sewage that versatility to play astatine 8 arsenic well."

There are peculiar aspects of Ilione's crippled that entreaty to Borthwick.

"He wins those jackal turnovers and concedes very fewer penalties. That's an unthinkable spot that he has to compete arsenic difficult arsenic he does and do it successful a cleanable way," said nan England boss.

"Second, which is not often talked about, is his carry, peculiarly his transportation tight [to nan breakdown].

"Most flankers you spot transportation really good are wider towards edges. You spot him capable to transportation done traffic. He's a very, very powerful player."

Willis' absence intends location is not a master number 8 among nan 19 forwards included successful this week's get-together.

Saracens' Ben Earl and Northampton's Henry Pollock regularly move into nan role, while Chandler Cunningham-South has started astatine 8 successful Harlequins' past 2 games.

Ilione has added some musculus and mindset successful caller months, however, telling BBC Radio Leicester past week that he is nan "strongest and fittest" he has ever been.

"It's benignant of nan mindset astir erstwhile you're carrying," Ilione said. "Having nan soul belief that you are a bully bearer and that you tin get done nan interaction and that nan squad needs you to spell forward, truthful you do spell forward."

Willis has led nan Prem successful that respect complete nan first 4 rounds.

He has made much carries (65) and beaten much defenders (35) than immoderate different subordinate truthful acold successful this campaign. He is besides nan only guardant successful nan league's apical 10 metre-makers (257m, adjacent fifth).

The 26-year-old appeared successful each 5 matches of England's Six Nations run earlier this twelvemonth and started some summertime wins complete Argentina.

Borthwick said that that he learned of Willis' determination to move to France, wherever his relative Jack plays for Toulouse, only soon earlier it was made public.

"Tom is simply a really, really bully rugby subordinate and a really bully man," said Borthwick.

"He rang maine nan extremity of past week and he talked to maine astir his decision.

"He's spoken astir apt astir it being a really reliable determination and 1 he's been reasoning done for a play of time.

"At that constituent I wished him good for nan future.

"I deliberation he understands conscionable really highly I complaint him and he besides understands why I've decided to spell successful nan guidance I have, which is to put each our clip - each nan Test lucifer time, each nan training clip - into players that will beryllium location successful 2 years' clip who are aiming to triumph that World Cup for England."

Borthwick revealed that Noah Caluori, nan 19-year-old Saracens helping who has been called up to train pinch nan squad aft scoring 5 tries against Sale successful his first Prem start, had been connected his radar for immoderate time.

"I deliberation it's astir apt complete a twelvemonth ago, I was getting sent footage of him and starting to get reports of him and his improvement plan," said Borthwick.

"He's a subordinate that I deliberation has a constituent of difference."

Borthwick said that erstwhile England skipper Owen Farrell - a notable absentee from England's training group - is concentrating connected playing for Saracens aft his summertime move backmost from Racing 92.

But Borthwick added that nan mobility of whether nan 34-year-old had asked to stay retired of nan England squad was "not really a chat for correct now".

Farrell skipped nan 2024 Six Nations to prioritise his and his family's intelligence well-being earlier moving overseas and retired of world contention for a year.

Borthwick besides explained that Farrell's chap erstwhile England skipper Chris Robshaw was owed to sojourn nan squad arsenic portion of his filming pinch Strictly Come Dancing connected Tuesday, only to beryllium voted disconnected nan programme complete nan weekend.

"We were each looking guardant to having him successful campy tomorrow, truthful we were each voting pinch our push, we couldn't rather get him complete nan line!" Borthwick said.

"Lots of respect to him for processing caller skills and putting himself successful uncomfortable situations."

England's autumn run originates against Australia connected 1 November, earlier matches against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina connected nan consequent weekends.