Scottish-qualified back-row named in England’s Rugby World Cup training squad

Zach Mercer, who was schooled in Scotland but slipped through the net in terms of the national side, has been selected in England’s first Rugby World Cup training squad of the summer.

Zach Mercer, centre, is back in the England set-up. (Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire)

The No 8, who will join Gloucester from Montpellier next season, last played Test rugby in 2018 when he won his first and second caps for England against South Africa and Japan, respectively. Mercer’s stint in France, which included him winning Top 14 player-of-the-season honours, meant he was not eligible for England selection but his move to Kingsholm has opened the door for his return. Mercer, 25, became Scottish-qualified as a teenager through residency having attended Netherlee Primary School and Williamwood High School in Glasgow, and Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh. He played for Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians and was in the Glasgow Warriors youth set-up, winning selection for the Scotland Under-16 team, but claims to have been overlooked at under-18 level after agreeing to join Bath. “Unfortunately, that was when the coach of the Scotland U18s called me and told me he wasn’t going to pick me because I hadn’t committed to Scotland and to Scottish rugby,” Mercer is quoted as saying.

The Leeds-born back-row now has the opportunity to put himself in the frame for the World Cup which begins in France in September. Mercer and Danny Care are the two headline selections in England coach Steve Borthwick’s training squad. But Exeter back-row forward Sam Simmonds – signed by Montpellier as Mercer’s replacement – has ruled himself out of World Cup contention following discussions with Borthwick. Simmonds joins another Exeter player – wing Jack Nowell – in making that decision. Nowell is set to join reigning European champions La Rochelle. Harlequins scrum-half Care, meanwhile, won the last of his 87 England caps on tour in Australia a year ago.

There are also places for Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer in a 28-player group, alongside Bristol No 9 Harry Randall, Bath flanker Ted Hill, Quins prop Joe Marler and London Irish flanker Tom Pearson. Irish last week filed for administration following their suspension from all club competitions by the Rugby Football Union. All four Exiles players in the squad – Pearson, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Henry Arundell and Will Joseph – wanted to be listed on the squad press release as London Irish players.

Ex-Wasps lock Joe Launchbury, meanwhile, was not considered due to a minor injury. Borthwick’s group, which assembled in Surrey on Monday, does not include players from Premiership semi-finalists Saracens, Sale, Northampton and Leicester, who are on rest periods. Three players – Saracens No 8 Billy Vunipola, Leicester forward Ollie Chessum and Exeter hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie – will also attend the camp to continue their rehabilitation from injury.

Borthwick said: “We are excited to get into camp and begin the first phase of our preparations. The World Cup is full of top-quality teams and high-quality players, and we are relishing the challenge in front of us. We have lots to get through before our first summer series fixture in August against Wales in Cardiff, so the hard work starts now.”

England will play Wales twice, Ireland and Fiji in August before opening their World Cup campaign against Argentina in Marseille on September 9. The final England World Cup squad of 33 players will be announced on August 7.

England training squad: Backs: H Arundell (London Irish), D Care (Harlequins), J Cokanasiga (Bath), O Hassell-Collins (London Irish), W Joseph (London Irish), O Lawrence (Bath), J Marchant (Harlequins), J May (Gloucester), C Murley (Harlequins), H Randall (Bristol), H Slade (Exeter), M Smith (Harlequins), B Spencer (Bath).

Forwards: J Blamire (Newcastle), A Dombrandt (Harlequins), T Dunn (Bath), C Ewels (Bath), E Genge (Bristol), T Hill (Bath), J Marler (Harlequins), Z Mercer (Montpellier), B Obano (Bath), T Pearson (London Irish), V Rapa-Ruskin (Gloucester), K Sinckler (Bristol), W Stuart (Bath), S Underhill (Bath), J Walker (Harlequins).