Toulouse set to deny Bordeaux and keep Willis

Toulouse are confident they will be able to see off a late bid from Bordeaux to keep Jack Willis at the Stade Ernest-Wallon when his short-term deal with the club ends this summer.

The flanker was given permission to play for Toulouse this season after Wasps went out of business earlier in the season while remaining eligible for selection by Steve Borthwick for the Six Nations.

And, while brother Tom is set to join Premiership leaders Saracens this summer, the elder of the brothers is yet to receive an offer that is good enough to tempt him into returning to the Premiership next season.

The RFU look set to bow to pressure to scrap the rule in a major climb down as they acknowledge that cash-strapped Premiership clubs cannot afford to meet the wage demands of many leading players.

Blindside understands that the RFU will have talks about a change of policy on the rule, which has long been seen as a restraint of trade at the end of the Six Nations Championship.

Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Simmonds, Joe Marchant and David Ribbans have all signed for French clubs next season and would be ineligible for Borthwick to pick after the World Cup under current regulations.

Toulouse are keen for flanker Jack Willis to sign a long-term deal with them, while Bordeaux, where Tom has played this season, have got him and Montpellier's Alexandre Becognee on their shopping list.