#2. Zach Mercer
Mercer, who was named player of the year in the French league during Montpellier’s championship-winning season in 2022, has struggled to secure a consistent place in Borthwick’s national squad.
The Gloucester No. 8, previously omitted from the Six Nations squad, has once again been left out of the group of 19 players set to gather this week before the summer Tests in Japan and New Zealand.
Instead, uncapped Exeter star Greg Fisilau has been included, pushing Mercer down to fifth in the pecking order for English No. 8s.
In an exclusive interview with RugbyPass, RFU director of rugby performance Conor O’Shea hinted that the focus is on the future, specifically under-20 players, rather than Zach Mercer.
O’Shea emphasised the need to balance experience with youth, stating that squads are chosen to field the strongest team for each match. This suggests that Borthwick views Mercer as less competitive than other experienced back-rowers and believes younger, less experienced players will benefit more from the opportunity.
O’Shea was understandably cautious in his remarks, providing what many might consider political answers. However, it seems clear that Mercer is unlikely to don an England shirt in the near future.
“There would be players that Steve might pick tomorrow that would be ahead of some of the players that are potentially there now, and it’s getting that balance” O’Shea said.
“We said this right from the start about young players popping out of the U20s that we want to keep that connection amongst them as well as the senior players and it’s getting that balance. Listen, it’s a massive honour to play for your country at any level and this is a big Test match against Portugal, but we are trying to balance.
“You could look across and say there are a number of players, ‘Should they be in?’ Every position has been discussed with what’s right for this particular game as opposed to what would be happening if you were running out into the Six Nations, plus making sure we have the strongest type of team available.
“That’s the rationale behind some of the selections. And Steve has spoken to a couple of players who might think, ‘Are we second in, are we third in the team and we’re not in this’ and he has spoken to them.”
Current number 8 pecking order
- 6. Callum Chick (Newcastle Falcons)
- 5. Zach Mercer (Gloucester Rugby)
- 4. Alfie Barbeary (Bath Rugby)
- 3. Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs)
- 2. Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
- 1. Ben Earl (Saracens)