Jack Willis was twisted out of a ruck in England’s 41-18 win against Italy at Twickenham and could now be out for up to a year following surgery.
The Wasps flanker was left screaming in agony clutching his left knee after Italian forward Sebastian Negri used the crocodile roll method to clear him from a ruck..
‘I’ve torn my MCL (medial collateral ligament) off the bone at the bottom, torn a bit off the top as well, so I am going to need that fully repaired,’ the Wasps flanker said in a video on Instagram.
‘Torn both meniscus, the medial meniscus from the root one side. Pretty gutted, I could be out for up to a year.’
Willis also revealed he was unhappy with the incident.
‘The breakdown has been an area that has been confused for quite a while.
“‘There’s a lot that needs to be reviewed. (A crocodile roll) is not the right way you are taught as a kid to clear a ruck.'”
Willis will be allowing fans to follow his recovery, revealing that: “There’s times you need motivation, you need to find something from somewhere and I probably want to use this as a tool to keep me motivated for throughout all of it and keep me focused.”
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BACK-THREE:
- 15. Max Malins (Bristol Bears)
- 14. Anthony Watson (Bath RFC)
- 11. Jonny May (Gloucester)
CENTRES:
- 13. Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
- 12. Owen Farrell (Saracens)