England explain why Zach Mercer didn't make their A team squad
Conor O’Shea has shed light on the thinking behind the England A squad selection announced on Thursday, a 27-strong group that included five Test cap players but won’t involve Gloucester No8 Zach Mercer even though the representative team’s head coach is his Kingsholm boss George Skivington.
Having failed to get into Steve Borthwick’s senior squad for the recent Rugby World Cup and the current Guinness Six Nations despite his move back to England from France for the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership season, the February 25 A team game versus Portugal was seen as a potential opportunity for Mercer to get back into the international fold.
However, rather than get included in the squad for the Mattioli Woods Welford Road match, Borthwick and the A team coaches instead unveiled a group with five other previously capped players – Jamie Blamire and Tom Pearson, the two forwards omitted from the England senior squad this week, along with Nick Isiewke, Harry Randall and Ollie Hassell-Collins.
Asked why Mercer didn’t make a squad that he might have expected to be involved in, RFU director of rugby performance O’Shea said: “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.
“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.”
The upcoming fixture versus Portugal, who defeated Fiji and drew with Georgia at the recent Rugby World Cup in France, will be the first England fixture at A team level since they toured South Africa as the Saxons in 2016.
A fixture planned versus Scotland A in June 2021 was cancelled on the morning of the match due to some positive covid tests, meaning that next week will be the first time an A game will happen in eight years.
It won’t be a one-off either, according to O’Shea, as the long-term plan is to have three to four A team matches every year as the RFU felt that not having these types of games in between U20s and Test level was a missing link in their player development pathway.
“Three to four (games), and four may be a stretch because we are very conscious of overloading, but also you want a programme where you have an element of consistency for some of these young players in it but it will be done in the international windows,” added O’Shea.
“We have been pushing for this… We can’t have 20 fixtures, that’s not possible, but our ability to now to keep that connection, to have a look at people, to give a different experience, it’s going to be brilliant having it back and it’s going to be the first of a number of games that we will put in at specific times in the year.
“It will hopefully give that opportunity for players who will have to be ready for Steve tomorrow and for some players who we are looking at and want to keep that connection, we want to see them in these environments and see can they make a step up. Really excited to have it back.
“We are pretty close to being able to confirm a few (more fixtures) and what we’ll do is look at the fallow week in next year’s Six Nations, probably have one if we can in the autumn and maybe one at the end of the season before the tour is on – there is quite a space in between U20s Junior World Cup and the senior team touring.
“There may be an opportunity in there so we are talking to countries, but we are also very conscious we don’t want to overplay players so it is getting the right number. It’s a massively important stepping stone for people to be able to prove themselves in that new environment you want to see people in.
“I was always really conscious of coaches used to be able to say to me, ‘You may be good at club rugby, it doesn’t mean you are good at international rugby’ and vice-versa. We are really excited to see these players next week.”
England have named 27 players in the A squad but that figure will increase by an unspecified number next Tuesday evening after Borthwick has settled on the match day 23 he will be picking from his senior squad of 36 to take on Scotland in round three of the Six Nations at BT Murrayfield.
“We want to improve depth in every position. I wouldn’t go into individual positions, that’s wrong, but every player chosen has been chosen for a different reason, some are at different levels. There may be some players that would be included that Steve would call in straight away; there would be some players that will definitely drop down on Tuesday evening from the senior team.
“We know who they will be at the moment but we want to get through the weekend and see what Steve says. There will be a number of players that will drop down to this team to give it the experience.
“It has to be a really good experience and not just chucking a load of young players in without the senior heads around them to lead the way. That will happen next week.
“It’s just trying to get into the position of seeing some of these players step up and put their hands up to put pressure on the players above them. I would go into individuals quite happily, but it would be wrong to put pressure on them.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Think it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
237 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
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