Steve Borthwick failing to call up England star is like Gareth Southgate snubbing Jude Bellingham

RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content 

powered by ISUZU.

This sentiment comes from none other than Lawrence Dallaglio, a champion of the 2003 World Cup, who is perplexed by the exclusion of the 26-year-old from the Red Rose lineup.

In a passionate commentary, Dallaglio exclaimed, "Being the standout player in France and still not making the England squad is simply incomprehensible."

To put this into perspective, imagine an English footballer moving to Valencia, dominating LaLiga, and earning Player of the Season in their debut year. It's a parallel situation highlighting the absurdity of Mercer's omission from the national team.

Mercer told BBC Sport: “I said, if you give me an opportunity you won’t be able to drop me’.

“I want this so badly that I know when I play, he won’t be able to take me out of the team.

“To come back and get given three weeks in a training camp and that was it, I was really disappointed with that.

“I’ve been open with Steve, I’ve told him my opinions on it. I thought I haven’t really been given a crack, which is what I feel like, to not even be given a game to try and prove myself is tough.”

Former England star James Haskell has been left in disbelief that the player isn’t even in contention to play for England’s ‘A’ squad against Portugal on Sunday.

He said on his The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast: “I feel sorry [for him], whoever told him to leave Montpellier when he was absolutely carving up, I’d be livid. He was ripping up trees.”

With Mercer's discontent regarding his England situation widely known, recent rumours started circulating following a report in Midi Olympique suggesting interest from Racing 92, Toulon, and his former club Montpellier in signing him. However, Mercer has now firmly put those rumours to rest, signaling his commitment to the current chapter of his rugby career.

Speaking to The Rugby Pod from his holiday in Teneriffe, Mercer said: “In regards to the rumours, they were bound to come out at some point with me not getting picked for the World Cup or the Six Nations, I feel they were always going to come back out that I was going to try and go back to France.

"But I can put that to bed now and I am committed to being at Gloucester. I have got another three years left there so I want to have a crack there.

"We have got a chance of winning some silverware this season, obviously not the Premiership but we will try and fight and get up the table in that, but in the European Challenge Cup and Prem Cup we have a chance to win something.”

In his article for The Telegraph, the 74-year-old has chosen six New Zealanders, three Englishmen, two Welsh players, and one each from France, Scotland, and Ireland in his all-time greatest team.

Fullback: JPR Williams (Wales) - "Not a staggeringly original choice, I’ll admit. But to my mind the only one. If I’m going to be picking a dream XV then I want JPR at the back. No question, guarenteed starter."

Left-wing: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) - "Illness and injury ultimately slowed him down. But his performances at the 1995 World Cup, just as the game was turning professional, will never be forgotten. The game needed a superstar, and it got one in Lomu. He was brilliant for rugby."

Right-wing: John Kirwan (New Zealand) - "He had an all round game; he could carry the ball through heavy traffic, he could offload, he was like an extra back-rower at times. Plus, he had natural effortless pace. He ended up scoring 35 tries for the All Blacks and was instrumental as they went through their unbeaten spell of games between 1987 and 1990."

Outside-centre: Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland) - "His ability to get back on his feet after tackling to compete for the ball was extraordinary, and ensured he always had an impact on the game, whatever type of game it was. He was such a natural talent."

Inside-centre: Philippe Sella (France) - "Sella and O’Driscoll were powerful men. They could stop a forward in his tracks. I think as a pair they would dominate any midfield and I like the thought of them together."

Fly-half: Dan Carter (New Zealand) - McGeechan wrote that Carter “really was the complete 10. His defence was immaculate, he could break himself, he could bring others in to play, his kicking from hand and from tee was incredibly accurate. He also changed the way the game was played with his kicking from his own 22m and his kicking to compete. The greatest of the modern era in my opinion.’’

Scrum-half: Gareth Edwards (Wales) - "My favourite scrum-half of all time happens to be my favourite player of all time. Gareth Edwards was and always will be the master. The Greatest.’’

Loosehead-prop: Tom Smith (Scotland) - "I just don’t think he gets anywhere near the credit he deserves. Six consecutive Lions Tests in 1997 and 2001, a talismanic figure in Scotland’s 1999 Five Nations win, a major reason Scotland were competitive at the 2003 World Cup."

Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand) - "He was outstanding, not just as a player but as a captain, and as a man.  His consistency was unbelievable in an international career that spanned 12 years: 92 Test appearances, including a world record 63 consecutive Test matches and 51 as captain. "

Tighthead-prop: Jason Leonard (England) - " He played both sides of the scrum but he was more of a tighthead. Completely unflappable, Jason was never in any trouble. Technically, he was superb and temperamentally he was sound, a huge character on and off the pitch."

Lock: Martin Johnson (England) - "I think he defined an era, both for forward play and for the performances of the teams he represented."

Lock: John Eales (Australia) - "A two-time Rugby World Cup-winner with the Wallabies in 1991 and 1999, captaining his side to victory over France in the second of those finals. A lot of the ‘number fives’ that have followed him play the way they do because of the type of game Eales set."

Blindside-flanker: Richard Hill (England) - "One of the easier selections, if I’m honest. Hill seemed to know almost instinctively where to be and when."

Openside-flanker: Richie McCaw (New Zealand) - Having picked Richard Hill at blindside, the thought of pairing him with Richie McCaw at openside genuinely excites me. Can you imagine those two together? The opposition would not stand a chance. 

Number 8: Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand) - "One of the toughest choices of the lot. Maybe the toughest. His ability to bring others into the game, his ability to stay connected in the game himself, popping up repeatedly through different phases; all exemplary. And he dropped goals of course. A true original."

The brains behind the Six Nations masterplans, these head coaches have all won 'Rugby's Greatest Championship', since the modernised competition began back in 2000. Throughout the history of the competition, there have been only five head coaches to win the competition on more than one occasion.

However, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is looking to become the sixth, as he orchestrates the men from the Emerald Isle into defending their Six Nations Grand Slam. In total, the Six Nations has been won by 13 different head coaches, and we challenge you to name them all in the next six minutes!

Your time starts... now! Good luck!