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Zach Mercer, de Montpellier à l’Angleterre
Zach Mercer et Danny Care ont été sélectionnés par le sélectionneur de l’Angleterre Steve Borthwick dans le premier groupe pour préparer la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023.
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Mercer (25 ans et 2 sélections), le numéro huit qui rejoindra Gloucester après avoir quitté Montpellier la saison prochaine, a joué pour la dernière fois sur la scène internationale en 2018.
Son séjour en France, au cours duquel il avait été élu meilleur joueur de la saison 2021-2022 du Top 14, l’avait jusqu’alors empêché d’être sélectionné pour l’Angleterre.
A l’inverse, le troisième-ligne d’Exeter Sam Simmonds – recruté par Montpellier pour justement remplacer Mercer – a dû décliner la sélection pour la Coupe du monde à la suite de discussions avec l’entraîneur en chef de l’Angleterre, Steve Borthwick.
Simmonds partage cette décision avec un autre joueur d’Exeter, l’ailier Jack Nowell, qui s’apprête à rejoindre La Rochelle, championne d’Europe en titre.
Le demi de mêlée des Harlequins, Danny Care, a quant à lui remporté la dernière de ses 87 sélections avec l’Angleterre lors d’une tournée en Australie il y a un an.
Ben Spencer, le demi de mêlée de Bath, a également sa place dans ce premier groupe de 28 joueurs, aux côtés de Harry Randall, demi de mêlée de Bristol, Ted Hill, troisième-ligne de Bath, Joe Marler, pilier des Quins, et Tom Pearson, demi de mêlée des London Irish.
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Cette annonce intervient six jours après que le club des London Irish a été suspendu de toute compétition par la Rugby Football Union. « En raison de cette suspension, le club ne pourra pas participer à la Gallagher Premiership, au Premiership Rugby Cup et à la Heineken Champions Cup pendant toute la campagne 2023/24 », a déclaré le club dans un communiqué.
« Le club reste en discussion active avec la RFU sur les circonstances qui pourraient entraîner la levée de la suspension. »
La RFU a confirmé que ni Mick Crossan, propriétaire de l’Irish, ni un consortium américain prévoyant d’acheter le club n’avaient pu prouver qu’ils avaient les moyens financiers de participer à la Gallagher Premiership pour la campagne 2023-24.
LE PREMIER GROUPE DE L’ANGLETERRE
Avants : Jamie Blamire, Alex Dombrandt, Tom Dunn, Charlie Ewels, Ellis Genge, Ted Hill, Joe Marler, Zach Mercer, Beno Obano, Tom Pearson, Val Rapava-Ruskin, Kyle Sinckler, Will Stuart, Sam Underhill, Jack Walker.
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Arrières : Henry Arundell, Danny Care, Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Will Joseph, Ollie Lawrence, Joe Marchant, Jonny May, Cadan Murley, Harry Randall, Henry Slade, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer.
Comments on RugbyPass
Speell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
2 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
6 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
6 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
5 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
6 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to comments