No Mercer!? England 19 player training squad
Вставка
- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Steve Borthwick named a 19 player training squad last week ahead of England’s tour to Japan and New Zealand this summer.
Zach Mercer was the big omission but there are also other positions of interest!
To put it bluntly he's probably 4th or 5th in line at this point. Could argue he got massively found out against the Sharks and a big powerful pack and really hasn't stood out enough in his carrying. Gutted he never got directed towards being a centre as he would have been an absolute worldy.
What big powerful pack stop that nonsense they are more skillful and more talented that's it stop that outdated excuse
4th or 5th 8? Or back row in general?
It’s crazy they’re not looking at Mercer. I’m a Chiefs fan and love to see Fisilau picked but I don’t think he’s performed better than Mercer. IMO Borthwick has a problem assessing more dynamic players, if it’s about meters carried, tackles etc he’s fine but finesse players I think he finds harder to gauge- I’m convinced that if Finn Russel was available for England he wouldn’t be playing either. Mercer, Jack Willis & Ben Earl would be my first choice back row with CCS on the bench
See @SquidgeRugby - "Mercer is great in a bit of space, but is one of the laziest back rows out there (Hits one ruck every 15mins on average..."
We know Alex D has struggled at test level but is a wonderful player, Ben E has been brilliant but still is more of a all action 7 (this might be unfair) - Mercer is the dynamic bigger 8 we could do with, especially in the squad. Borthwick maybe looking a little petulant with this decision - but then I have enjoyed watching England again since he took over so I'm happy to back his call on this.
I just can’t see why so many people continue to support Dombrandt. He certainly plays well for Harlequins, but just doesn’t seem to be able to step up to the international stage with his full game.
Mercer defo deserves a selection, French league player of the year, had some great games/impacts, maybe a few bad, but who hasn’t, yet daly who was 54th Prem try scorer last year/ 103rd b4 6 N, continues to play on The wing before 10 way better wingers!! SB has his favs and that why England don’t win anymore, the best aren’t selected!!
The idea of “picking on form” is in the bin when it comes to England. We haven’t picked on form for many years now, just need to hope borthwick’s vision for the England team works out. If we picked on form Will Evans would be in the squad and Itoje would be benched an awful lot more
I would say Borthwick picked plenty of players in the 6N on form. Cole, Itoje, Chessum, Martin, Earl for sure were the best in their position in the first half of the season. As were Mitchell, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman, IFW.
Very harsh as he adds something very different to the back row
Dombrandt has had 17 caps, without a single good performance. Flat track bully.
just isn't true is it. He has played well. Also played badly. But so has a player like J Willis. Guess if he became available again we should just turn our backs on him
A lot of the current backrow crop should have gone for 12 instead. The number of world class backrowers Eng have is a laugh. And the amount of inside centers is 1 or 2. Like I genuinely think Domb would make an awesome inside center. Size and skills to boot.
I feel sure Mercer has an attitude problem that cannot be ignored, for the good of the team.
And you know this how?
Borthwick likes Yes-Men - that’s why neither Earl nor Mitchell nor Furbank got a look-in until injuries or loss of form FORCED him to look beyond his “mates”.
Also perhaps why Courtney and Owen (and Kevin Sinfield) all walked away from the England set-up, at the top of their games.
You think Dean Richards or Mick Skinner or Matt Dawson didn’t have “personality issues”? Managing personalities is a HUGE part of sports management - if you can’t handle that, you shouldn’t be there.
His attitude has been under the microscope for a very long time in the hierarchy of England... And to be fair, he's given them plenty of ammunition since even his early playing days to make them suspect that he has a very dodgy temperament.
Mercer will ultimately make it just as Mitchell did
We have a number of good number 8s - Jack Willis , Dombrandt , Barbary , Mercer , Filsalou and of course Ben Earl . The question for me is whether Earl is best at number 8 or at open side . I would like to see Earl at openside with Willis starting and Mercer or Dombrandt on the bench , depending on the opposition . For sure Mercer should be in the squad
As an 8 he just isn't high up the order; playing for the 2nd worst club has done him no favours as he can't really showcase much and against the Sharks he was isolated constantly, spilling the ball in contact many times. With Earl in his current form and utility there's no way hes in the picture barring injury.
He should have thrown his hat in with Scotland.
I think it's very hard for a coach to pick a player who thinks he's proved himself and is entitled to have his chance and goes public when he isn't getting it. It's an ego distorted view putting too much emphasis on self and too little on the other great players who you need to be a squad mate with. Bad for team so to an extent he's ruled himself out. Cipriani comes to mind.
Cipriani! Oh what a waste of a wonderful talented key player. Johnson just couldn’t manage him when the time was right. So sad.
I actually think not selecting Ibitoye is worse than Mercer. I've watched Mercer closely and don't understand the hype. He a good player. Nice passing skills, a bit slow. I dunno. I get why he's not been selected. Chandler Cunningham South has played much better this year.
in south africa we had a rugby player captain of a succesful team known as the best player not to became a springbok
mercer posb the same
certain coaches has a narrow outlook for good or worse will we ever know
Zack needs to get his ass back to france, right quick. Eff the English league, no one gives a toss.
Alfie, you are as right about Mercer as you are wrong about Dombrandt. Borthwick picks on “personality”, not on form. He likes Yes-men. He doesn’t like Mercer, he also doesn’t intrinsically like Mitchell or Earl - both only got their chance because of injuries/loss of form to his “favourites”. Ditto for Furbank, clearly way better than Steward in all respects other than aerial work.
There is also most probably a reason why both Lawes and Farrell have turned their backs on International rugby, whilst still clearly LOVING the club game. The same could be said for Kevin Sinfield on the coaching front. Purely coincidental ? - I think not, for 3 super-patriotic guys.
Mercer should be MILES ahead of Dombrandt, who was still arguably the best English club No8, whilst NEVER, EVER performing for England - so nothing has changed. There is a chance that Mercer could reproduce his Montpelier form at international level - but Borthers won’t even TRY him for 20 mins or so.
There is no way Ben Earl should lose the shirt, but as a back-up Mercer has earned a place ahead of shell-shocked Dombrandt.
but he hasn't though. Dombrandt has been better than Mercer this year so deserves to be ahead of him. not hard to work out
I don't actually think it's that bad that Mercer is out. Stats wise Barbeary, Earl and Dombrandt have all been better. We all bring up Mercer's player of the year season but forget last season where he was average in a Montpellier squad which failed to reach the champions cup. Don't get me wrong still been good this year but others have been better.
Mercer got found out against Sharks so its no surprise to me. And who wants a player in the squad that goes and cry's to the press every time daddy doesn't buy him nice things.
I believe that Z.Mercer isn't in the initial England training squad Because he has agreed to play for the Barbarians against Fiji on the 22 of June Which Would mean he misses the Match against Japan Come the autumn i do feel he will be in the squad