How is Zach Mercer not playing for England?!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.พ. 2024
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It's a classic case of the face not fitting. Despite his quite unbelievable performances and stats, England coaches just don't like dynamic 8s. We're so limited in our view of the game that it is so frustrating to watch as a fan sometimes. The All Black and Ireland setups allow players to play for the national team like they do for their club teams...which is how you get the best out of a player. But England has a strict regime that only picks players that conform to the status quo.
At least in my opinion
I reckon that's a good opinion
What about Ben Earl? Would you define him as dynamic?
Yes Ben Earl is certainly not dynamic at all...
I don't think he's top in the stats the England coaches are looking for. Compared to other back rows he hits far fewer rucks, makes fewer tackles. Yeah he's great in the open and carrying but international rugby requires a more rounded game. I also suspect there might be a personality issue, its probably not appreciated that every time he doesn't make an England camp he seems to give an interview talking about his omission.
That might be partially true but also at international level I don’t think he makes sense. He’s ok using his speed at prem level but against top 5 teams they will just turn him over in open play. I’d be interested enough to see him off the bench but he’s a poor man’s ben Morgan if we are comparing him to anyone
Personally i want to see Martin, Earl & Mercer with CCS coming off the bench. Wed have 3 line out options, Martin & Earl are good carriers in tight situations, Mercer can be a touch wider.
I would now be working to a situation of having Genge, George & Cole, Chessum & Itoje, Martin, Earl & Mercer with Mitchell, Marcus Smith, Lawrence & Slade then Feyi-Wabsoso, Freeman & either Steward or Furbank. Im happy with Dan, Coles, CCS, Spencer just need to see how the young talent in the prem progresses to take the team forward.
He's one of the best footballing number 8's I've see. Very adaptible to every situation
4:22 Zach almost goaded the oppo into thinking he could beat him on the outside - body turned, slow start - and then absolutely buried him as soon as he'd decided to go for it and couldn't turn back. Excellent defense.
How can the best forward in French rugby last year not get in to squad it beggars belief
Seeing his highlights really showcases just how good he is. Seems he’s heading back over the channel or worse, north of the border, both of which are England’s loss.
He has great feet, great hands, great pace. I think because Gloucester havent been doing well, and he didnt feature often recently based on injury, that hes just been overlooked by players featuring more. Dombrandt and Earl in the squad are hardly out of form or out of demand.
The difficulty in the back row is there is quite a lot of competition for England. Barbeary, Dombrandt, Earl, Cunningham-South all good 8 options before you look at the flanks in Underhill, Roots, Pearson, thr Curry bros. etc.
As a french, i'm begining to think that England prefer soldiers to warriors and in the end, need heroes.
Mercer is a flawless monster.
That cannot make a good story, unless you are the vaillant opponent.
I am not sure I should say anything now that there is a silver medal argument, but I'm kinda sad for the guy.
Give him a chance to move you with his utility back appetite for the line for flying flammingoes flair' sake !
It’s a mystery right enough.
1:42 Wales U20 back row/Harlequins No8 and other 'frustrated-England-No8-who-can't-get-a-look-in' Alex Dombrandt looks on
I don't understand it. He's a fantastically skilled, dynamic, smart, and brave player. He should be a shoe-in at no.8 alongside Earl at 7 and possibly Martin at 6.
The guy went to the best league in Europe (probably the world) and tore it up for two years whilst winning the league. Now he's behind Dombrandt in the queue to play number 8 for us. The French must be howling with laughter at us.
Earl Underhill and mercer are the best dynamic back 3 for England
Donkeys compared to that lad !
Top 14 player of the year 2022. Gutted Bath could not get him back, finances did not allow it.
Feel sorry for him. He leaves a great life in France, has to play for Gloucester.😅
2 questions - how is Mercer not playing for England, and, if he can run down Marcus Smith like that, how is Smith getting caps for England (NB i think Smith is a fantastic player, and Mercer seems to have all the rugby football skills)?
Because our back row already has a lot of tough competition for spaces. Personally i'd like to see him re-roll into an inside centre. He has the speed and skills to fit in, and with the power to absolutely smash through a lot of backs.
I don't think him speaking his mind helped. The problem is if a player is allowed to vocalise his thoughts and still be included in a squad, it sets a dangerous precedent and others might follow suit.
However, I do think he's a fantastic player and if he had more game-time under his belt this season and kept his thoughts to himself, it might have been a different story.
Great video, mate!
What did he say? I missed it.
@@owenfrew9840He kind of expostulated at why he wasn't included in England's Six Nations squad.
Of course he's obliged to feel aggrieved, but I think speaking publicly about it was career genocide as, consequently, he wasn't even included in England A's squad against Portugal.
@@StanWilks I think it just goes to highlight the fact we don't see inside the training camp. Regardless of how good a player is, if they have a negative attitude or are entitled, they don't belong in a team environment.
@@StanWilks He was one of the first players to be returned to his team during the run up to the RWC last year.
@@limbothytimothy Absolutely. We have to trust that the coaches are going to know far more than we ever will as fans, especially when they see the players everyday.
Well this is the likely reason: When he was on form he was one of the 2 best 8s from England with Simmonds in 2020-2022 but dombrandt and vunipola got the nod because in the Eddie system a dynamic 8 never was exploited or used well, so when borthwick came in and realised a dynamic 8 like Earl was useful Mercer had dipped out of form on a struggling Gloucester team and the other 8s leapfrogged him.
Brilliant, dynamic, hard hitting and intelligent player. And he's not even in the England 'A' squad!
Brilliant in open play, strong tackling, great pace….how about this for a thought….inside centre?
Inside centre, outside centre...wing?
When we've been trying to find a Tuilagi alternative for so long... I think it could work
Once a forwad always a forward
Why would you play him at 12, when you could have Ben Earl, him and one of the Curry brothers in a backrow
No you need one genuine lump in the backrow, a Morgan or a Roots
What a unit!
Exactly. Madness.
Can he chase box kicks though?
He's an 8
@thejomviking just a bit of hyperbole about Borthwick's selection criteria
@@thejomvikingwhoosh
Over your head
He REALLY needs to be playing over Ethan Roots
That’s a very unbalanced back row, then.
Disagree but he should at least be in the squad over Dombrandt
@@edwardmorgan7560 Ye but I feel Ethan just isn’t cutting it cause he’s making too many mistakes
I wish I could give this video a lot more than just a single thumbs up. Dynamism personified.
Nick Abendanon, Alex Goode and Zach Mercer - all world class players who have never had the careers at international level they should have!
bollocks; Alex Goode had 21 caps, and he was bang average every time. Great club player, could never kick on internationally
No Goode wasn't as good as Brown nor Foden. You should include Armitage brothers
@pikey12825how could i forget!!
Going back 10+ years, I'm going to suggest James Simpson Daniel
Nick abendanon and Alex Goode "World Class" 🤣🤣
The best coaches create gameplans that complement the players. The other coaches find players that fit their gameplan.
Tell that to Bill Bellichek, Pep Guardialoa etc...
It is a quite unbeleiveable oversight by Borthwick - unless there is something going on behind the scenes with attitude towards the rest of the squad etc.
Mercer at 8 would allow Earl to play in his natural 7 slot. Underhill can do 6 until Curry comes back.
Zach Mercer reminds me of Sam Simmonds. Both are extremely fast, dynamic no 8s who have been criminally ignored by England.
And both have played or are playing 8 for Montpellier.
An Outsiders England XV (either ineligible or not selected for some reason).
1. Val Rapava Ruskin
2. Tom Dunn
3. Finn Baxter
4. Joe Launchbury
5. Dave Ribbans
6. Sam Simmonds
7. Jack Willis
8. Zach Mercer
9. Ben Spencer
10. Jacob Umaga
11. Adam Radwan
12. Will Joseph
13. Alex Lezowski
14. Henry Arundell
15. Alex Goode
Honarable mentions for Alfie Barbeary, Charlie Ewels, Ben Spencer if he doesn’t get picked this 6N, and Christian Wade.
I'd take that side overall against any that Steve Borewick has selected.
And half a dozen England based S.A. players to poach!! Love your choice at lock, two proper lumps👍
Would make a brilliant impactful centre. No offence to him personally but Henry Slade was practically invisible in the Scotland game.
England have to find a place for him at 8 or 6. Simply too good to leave out.
Can you imagine him and Earl bouncing around the pitch 🫠
Build a back row around him rather than make him fit.
Mercers omission says so much sbout Englands woes this year , would Farrell pick him for Ireland ? I think we know the answer to that .
Cos just like he confuses his opponents with his speed, elusiveness, side stepping, off loads, passing and kicking game, so he confuses the England coaches. Making lots of people look foolish both on and off the pitch.
Too lightweight for international rugby. I love him and I wish he would play for England but he'd get pushed around by Southern Hemisphere teams, need the weight for scrums etc
He's heavier than all three current starting back rows in the England team!
Plus he got player of the season in the top 14, a league where every team has monsters up front
Don't be ridiculous, he's bigger than earl, curry, Underhill et al. And Roots may be fatter but is not fit to lace Mercer's boots .
Because he didn’t/doesn’t play the ‘Borthwick way’. Any other national he’d be at least in the squad
No matter what other options there are in England in the backrow, this guy has to be in the squad at least...plus he did amazingly in France, proving he can do it at the top level. Dombrandt by comparison has not impressed when given the chance in an England shirt.
I actually think I must be the only person who understands both why he should be in the England team and why he shouldn't.
Firstly we have Earl who has been amazing at 8, Chandler CS looks the next big thing, then we've got Alfie Barbery. That's why I get he's not in the team. Along side the fact Mercer has had a miserable season for Gloucester, even though he was amazing in the semi cup.
Yeah he's a telent though. So much prefer him in the team over Roots. Roots' inclusion still isn't right
Even without Roots we have players like Curry, Willis, Pearson and Ted Hill (who is unlucky not to have had a proper go) who are ahead when not injured. These guys are all of a similar mould in that they hit like trucks, good carriers, hit rucks all day and good over the ball. Mercer has a bit of flash to his play but in my view lacks in these other areas compared to other English back rows
I’d have Mercer at 8 Earle at 7 and Underhill at 6. What a fearsome back line that would be.
Personally don't think Underhill cuts it anymore, hasn't put in any above average performances this six nations and with the quality options we have he should be getting dropped.
As an outsider it's great to see him not get selected again and again. Dombrant is another badly treated back row there too
Remember his pathetic excuse for a tackle attempt on van der Merwe’s in the England Scotland game last year?
Dombrandt has not once put in a good enough performance (in over 20 caps btw) against anyone above top 10 in the rankings to justify him ever putting on an England shirt again. Unless he does what Simmonds did and consistently be on of the best players in Europe for multiple seasons and break many try scoring records or does what mercer did and win player of the season while winning the league then dombrandt should never be used again. He was given his chance and he just isn’t an international level 8.
This comment exemplifies why most fans are completely ignorant and clueless
I dont think him slagging off the entire england setup helped his case
That's a bit over sensitive. The most controversial thing he said was that Borthwick didn't rate him, and that seems to be correct?
How is Zach Mercer not playing for England?! as a Gloucester fan i can tell you its because he is sporting the cherry and white jersey, so many outstanding players have been overlooked at Gloucester for decades now. i could literally name 5 players who should have had 100 caps that probably didn't even get 10 who played for Gloucester.
Maybe he's too razzle dazzle for England's dour grind-it-out approach to test rugby.
Mercer would be a game changer for England ! But alas lack of vision runs amok!
Well it looks as though besides his obvious power he has skill, pace and flair which means Borthwick will never play him.
There’s plenty wrong with the England set-up at the moment, that won’t simply be cured by the departure of Steve Borthwick. Too many vested interests incompatible with performance.😢
His dad teaches at my kid’s school 😊
Agree Mercer is like Kwagga ! Good lack of vision is still in Englands coaching !
Similar to Marcus Smith and Dombrandt, being good at club level doesn’t always equate to being decent at international level.
Should be given a chance at least!!
Unlike Smith and Dombrandt he’s not really had a chance
Easy answer - the England coach. He picks him and then he's playing!
Cunningham-South and Dombrandt over this guy:
Bruh.
Mercer's continued omission is myopic ridicule - what are the England team selectors' grounds for ignoring him? There is a dearth of No8s - we have Earls, a flanker standing in there - he's doing well, but 7 is his natural habitat.
Mr Borthwick should open his eyes - and look at the talent countless people are seeing in Mercer
Itoje needs to step up his game, Mercer is sheer power where England need it
Why does Itoje - a second row - need to step up his game for a number 8?
Mercer's issue is that he in fact lacks power.
@@jonnybaynham1689 bro said mercer lacks power😂😂
@@jonnybaynham1689 I was talking generally, he’s become comfortable and needs competition there, better second rows in the country. Also maybe giving Jamal Ford-Robinson a chance off the bench, he’s big strong and mobile, just a pity Mercer is so marginalised
@@jonnybaynham1689 I don’t think Mercer lacks power, he’s certainly way more mobile than a lot of number eights
Never a mention of zac mercer nor the likes of Joe simmonds who should’ve got a call-up time ago!
Simple. Because he plays for Gloucester. Gloucester players rarely get called up for England.
pfff Are you 10 years old ??
Because Borthwick prefers pedestrian players.
Because Borethwick doesn't like pace!
The most underrated England No.8
Also he was named as a Top14 player of the year 2022 with shortlisted names such as Antoine Dupont, Greg Alldritt. he was also nomination for World Rugby Junior Player of the Year in 2017 and had his first England international cap in that year.
He's young and experience, and im sure we will see him more in the England shirt soon.
Because he’s nowhere near Earl or Dombrandt in the premiership stat charts, and currently has the attitude of an entitled child. That second part in particular guarantees he’ll never play for Borthwick
Can he play for Scotland?
Nah, he's not South African so the Protea on the Scottish jersey will need to change to a Protea / Rose hybrid and no one wants that.
Nope. Only qualified for Scotland on residency so now he's played for England he won't be able to change nationality. Is eligible for New Zealand though...
@@AndrewDavidForde how NZ?
@@alastaircockburn8247 His dad is Kiwi I think.
@@alastaircockburn8247 Yeah his dad's a Kiwi, played for New Zealand in Rugby League
Because he’s too good.
One word…Borthwick
Shame that he does not qualify for Wales...
As in most sports if your face dont fit !!
Probably because he doesn’t play for Tigers!
Inside centre
he slagged off the entire england rugby system thats why
Highlight of the reel is Farrell's shoulder
Scotland will have him
Classic case of speaking your mind and then being punished despite the RFU begging for opportunities to grow the game.
Simple fact… if Mercer is on the pitch there’s more bums on seats and higher viewing figures
because of ben earl maybe?
ben earl is a flanker though... outstanding player no doubt, by why not have both for goodness sake?
ffs sssh
Because there are 3 English 8's playing better than him. It's not hard
not on form. Maybe only Earl, and you could easily play Mercer and Earl together.
@@dgoodall yes on form both Barbeary and Dombrandt have had better seasons than Mercer
@@dgoodallBarbeary was in great form, just got banned. Also got that natural 'dad strength'. Dombrandt was also in great form for Quins
four; i think greg Fisilau has been better than Mercer this season too
@@Sam-uk4mb Fisilau was absolutely schooled by Mercer in the recent prem cup match. Get to Specsavers
Not boring enough, doesn't run in a straight line and uses his brain when he plays
His big mouth and lack of respect means I hope he is never picked
Because he plays for the Glaws 🤦 and obviously not explosive enough to fit in the current England team 🐌🙈🙊🙉🤔
So many players who had amazing form for a while not picked much or at all for England eh? Zach Mercer, Danny Cipriani, Don Armand, Christian Wade, Adam Radwan, Nick Abendanon, Joe Launchbury, Val Rapavaruskin, Sam Simmonds, Andy Goode, Alex Lesowski.
Joe Launchbury had 65 caps for England, stop chatting shite
England haven't got the flair or intelligence to know how to use him
It's because he doesnt carry hard into traffic, always goes around