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Zach Mercer told to stop sulking by former England teammate
By Ian Cameron
Former England hooker Dylan Hartley has suggested that Zach Mercer shouldn’t be sulking over his Six Nations non-selection by Steve Borthwick.
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Zach Mercer has not taken well to his being overlooked by England for the tournament, suggesting last month that Borthwick hasn’t given him a fair crack of the whip. The disgruntled Gloucester player – who returned to the Gallagher Premiership with an eye on more England caps – has now been linked with a move back to the Top 14.
Now Mercer’s former England teammate Hartley has contrasted the No.8’s attitude with New Zealand’s talent-rich environment, where not all can play yet sulking is rare.
“If you look at New Zealand in comparison, there’s five super teams and not all five number eights can play for the All Blacks. There are always players that are going to miss out, but you don’t hear them sulking,” said Hartley.
Hartley pointed out the importance of fitting into a coach’s strategy, drawing from his own career shaped by physical attributes and set-piece skills, to underline the tough realities of professional rugby union.
“Ultimately, Steve Borthwick has a way that he wants to play the game, Eddie Jones had a way that he wanted to play the game and they both pick players to fit that.
“I would not have had a career if every coach I played for didn’t prioritise set piece. I was typically five to eight kilos heavier than most hookers and my set piece was very steady.
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“I was always in the 90 per cent for my line out and the scrum got a little bit easier towards the end of my career. There are always going to better players. Mikey Haywood at Northampton was far more dynamic as was Jamie George and Tom Youngs. Lee Mears was more skilful than me.
“I was every coach’s preferred player because I was heavier and my set piece. It’s just one of these things that the players who are not in the squad or not playing have to deal with. Eddie wanted size and weight and Billy Vunipola had that in bags, like 10 kilo bags more than everyone else.”
Hartley suggests that Mercer simply doesn’t fit Borthwick’s current vision for England.
“It’s one of these things. Zach Mercer plays a great game and I love him as a player and he’s a great bloke, but how does Steve Borthwick want the balance of his back row to look? I’m not sure that Zach Mercer fits into that. Ultimately, Borthwick will have his favourite player for number eight and he can’t pick them all.”
Hartley’s full conversation with Gambling Zone can be found here.
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Usual tabloid crap from Rugby pass. If you want your little sensationalist worthless headlines I suggest you go and work for the Sun.
I think Borthwick will pick the best number 8 in England. Over the season so far that hasn’t been Mercer, but his performance at the weekend was a big improvement, so there is hope he could turn it around before the summer.
That said, it would be better for english rugby long-term if a younger player like Barbeary or Fisilau were selected. Mercer is only 26 so I’m sure his age won’t count him out, but if he and Barbeary are performing at about the same level as one another, Borthwick will give preference to Barbeary.
I think too much is being made of Borthwick’s tactical bias when it comes to selection. He apparently told Barbeary he needed to improve his kick-chase, but selected Billy Vunipola at the RWC who is pretty poor in that area. He has also selected Dombrandt and Earl, who are very different from each other and from Vunipola.