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<p>The Toulouse back rower cemented his status across the Channel by lifting the Bouclier de Brennus, for winning the French Top 14 title, in June after a 29-26 win over La Rochelle in Paris.</p>
<p>Willis was only there because of the collapse of his boyhood squad Wasps in 2022 which forced his move to the French heavyweights with no jobs available in the Premiership thanks to the reduced salary cap.</p>
<p>Steve Borthwick&rsquo;s side, who face Argentina in Saturday&rsquo;s opener, cannot meet hosts France until the semi-finals at least but if they do clash, they will have some inside info.</p>
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<p>Willis has been playing with the likes Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos and&nbsp;Romain Ntamack improving his game and playing a leading role in that win at Stade de France.</p>
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<p>But Willis will be wearing the white shirt of England for at least the next month and is hoping to show the French the type of player the switch has made him into.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It has helped me ball skill-wise, we all know Toulouse, the style of play, and when I went there, I really wanted to make sure I was adding to the team from that aspect,&rdquo; said Willis. &ldquo;The back row there is healthy competition as well, with a few internationals. I wanted to make sure I could put my best foot forward.</p>
<p>&ldquo;After such a tough start to the season and such a low point with everything that happened at Wasps to finish with winning the Top 14 was pretty special and it felt a nice way to top it off. And to give a bit of credit back to Wasps to say thank you for everything they have done for me in my career &ndash; I loved my time&nbsp;at Wasps, and it was so sad to see everything that happened, but I am lucky O to be at a special club like Toulouse.</p>
<p>e "With sport, there is always another target, and y this is an exciting one and an exciting group to be part of. This is my first ever World Cup experience as well and to be named in the squad felt like a big achievement but it's only the start of this process. We've got s a a very clear and I I goal that is goKing to try and win y this troe phy."</p>
<p>Fly-half Ntamack, below, who scored Toulouse's last gasp winner won't be at the World Cup after rupturing an ACL in a warm-up game against Fiji. But scrum-half Dupont is the main focus and dominating billboards all over France.</p>
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<p>Dupont is leading the highly rated French into their own tournament and the temperature is rising across the Channel. But Willis has backed his clubmate to cope with the heat.</p>
<p>He added: "He's cool as a cucumber. There's al ways pressure on the best players in the world, isn't there? I think he'll deal with it in whatever way he has done so far in his career.&nbsp;He's a great player and I'm sure he'll just keep his head down and stick to the process that he has. I have learned a lot from being in a completely different team that plays in such a different way with some very special players."</p>
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Willis aiming to be the local villain

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