Willis named Top 14 Player of the Month as Bordeaux climb to second

Tom Willis has been named Top 14 Player of the Month for October, capping a dominant run of form that has helped Bordeaux-Bègles win all four of their league fixtures and rise to second in the standings, one point behind Toulouse.

The 27-year-old back-rower was at his most influential in Bordeaux’s 23-22 victory at Stade Marcel-Michelin against Clermont-Auvergne, where he made 18 tackles and forced four turnovers. That display earned him places in both Midi Olympique and L’Equipe’s Teams of the Week, and he had come close to adding a try when Bordeaux drove from a maul, only for Maxime Lucu to take possession before the grounding.

Willis had opened the month by starting and scoring in the win over Lyon, before being named on the bench against La Rochelle — a match in which he was introduced after just 20 minutes. He then returned to the starting XV for Bordeaux’s most recent victory over Bayonne, completing a clean sweep of October fixtures for the reigning European champions.

The eight-cap England international joined Bordeaux from Saracens and has rapidly become central to head coach Yannick Bru’s plans, combining a heavy defensive workload with breakdown influence and ball-carrying power.

His rise has taken on an added dimension given that older brother Jack, a back-to-back Top 14 Player of the Year, remains sidelined at Toulouse with a thigh injury. With Jack still in recovery, Tom has stepped into the family spotlight and is now drawing comparisons that will not be lost on England head coach Steve Borthwick — a compelling case exists that both brothers could feature in the same international back-row when fit.

For Bordeaux, the immediate concern is sustaining the momentum. Four wins from four in October have turned them into genuine title contenders, and Willis’s form is central to that ambition.