Who’s hot and who’s not: Zach Mercer’s reaction to England snub, transparency over Springboks deal and World Cup abuse

It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend.

THEY’RE ON FIRE!

Origin Round in URC:  The United Rugby Championship celebrated players and referees rugby roots last weekend. The idea was to pay tribute to where it all began with players wearing their school or club socks during the games honouring where they have come from. There was also references to the schools of the players shown in the lineups and or on some of the team kits. The idea is hugely successful, with fans loving the concept. It is also a great way to showcase the incredible journey of some of the talented players on display.

Zach Mercer responds: The Gloucester back-rower must have believed he would be called up to the England “A” side for their next match against Portugal after being left off of England’s Six Nations roster. However, that was not to be as the 26-year-old was also left out of that squad. Not to be taken lightly, he responded to the latest setback by saying, “I’m older, more mature, I put the international selection aside now, I’m done for the time being with that and I’m just going to focus on Gloucester,” in an interview with the BBC. Gloucester supporters will be thrilled to hear that, and his performance in the Premiership Rugby Cup against Exeter undoubtedly made an impression on England’s selection committee.

Munster and Gavin Coombes: The defending champions of the United Rugby Championship defeated the Scarlets 42–7 on Friday night at Parc y Scarlets. Despite some dissatisfaction from their head coach, Graham Rowntree, Munster was pleased with their performance and received a bonus point. This, following a six-try to one victory over their hosts, led by a well-earned brace from Coombes. This indicates that in 88 games for Munster, he has now scored an incredible 42 tries. With players returning from injury, Munster’s victory keeps them solidly in the play-off places and gives them every chance to embark on another winning streak.

Paul Graou gets four points.This weekend, scrum-half Paul Graou captured everyone’s attention in Toulouse as he made his Top 14 club debut in the number nine jumper, his first appearance since Antoine Dupont left to join the France sevens squad. And it’s safe to say he didn’t let us down! In a 61-34 rout of Oyonnax on Saturday, the 26-year-old recorded five try involvements, scoring four tries and providing assistance for another in an outstanding display. Speak about taking a chance and relieving the ardent supporters of Dupont’s club of his absence.

Louis Lynagh pulls off an Italian move: Bravo to the Italians! The darting Harlequins winger completed his transfer to Benetton, was called up to the Azzurri team, and might play his first game this week against France. Under Eddie Jones, the speedster was called up to the England team, but he was never given the chance to earn his first cap and Steve Borthwick also passed him by. A premiership talent is claimed by Italy as a declaration of purpose, and Lynagh is given the chance to play for his native nation. Bravo to the young man; it’s a significant choice that he made with assurance, and it will be thrilling to watch him play in this weekend’s Six Nations.

SA Rugby’s transparency: There was outrage amongst some Springbok fans earlier this week when SA Rugby announced they were in advanced negotiations with an American consortium over a possible private equity deal. Significant “expertise, networks, and resources necessary to enhance the commercial value of South African rugby” might be provided by the transaction, according to SA Rugby, which also made it clear that the Springboks brand would not be sold. The CEO of the governing body, Rian Obeholzer, wrote an open letter to South Africans following the outcry from those disgruntled Bok supporters who did not believe SA Rugby when they said that the Bok brand would not be sold. In the letter, Obeholzer went into detail to explain the finer points of the deal and reiterated his earlier assurance. Obeholzer and SA Rugby deserve praise for their openness.

Focus on the Rugby Europe Championship: With the Six Nations taking a hiatus, a lot of fans watched the last stages of the REC’s pool stage, and the “Tier 2” nations did not let them down. This weekend saw victories for Georgia, Belgium, and the Netherlands, but Portugal—the clear favorite for the 2023 World Cup—grabbed the headlines once more. Rising sensation Lucas Martins put up a spectacular effort for Os Lobos against Romania, but the team’s try in the team’s 24-49 triumph was the cherry on top.

COLD AS ICE!

World Rugby abuse report: This weekend, rugby’s governing body revealed the outcomes of an investigation into the online abuse match officials, players, teams and other stakeholders received during the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the report made for grim reading. The now retired Wayne Barnes was the most targetted individual with nearly 700 messages, while England were collectively the most targetted team.

Will Jordan injury blow: For a second year in a row, the Crusaders will start their Super Rugby Pacific season without the services of their star outside back, who is battling with a shoulder problem. He adds to an already mounting injury list that includes Leigh Halfpenny, Ethan Blackadder and Fergus Burke. Jordan missed most of last term with migraine-related symptoms, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Startling news for Tomasso Allan:The announcement that Allan, the player with the most caps for Italy, is taking a hiatus from international rugby coincides with Lynagh’s move to Italy, which is a great bonus for the country. He acknowledged that the mental and physical toll was too great, much like Owen Farrell, which serves as a sobering reminder of the pressure players face at the pinnacle of the game. We do commend Allan for taking this tough choice.

clumsy Rey Lee-Lo dismissed: A reckless tackle by the Samoan center on Connacht flyer Shayne Bolton early in the game marred Cardiff’s URC home match against Connacht. Following the viewing of television replays, referee Andrea Piardi immediately red carded Lee-high Lo for his violent tackle. As anticipated, Bolton appeared worse after the incident and was hauled off for an HIA right away, which he failed, with Tom Farrell taking his place. Because of his careless challenge, Lee-Lo may have to sit out some time.

Rebels’ predicament gets worse: It’s been said that “when it rains, it pours,” and the Melbourne Rebels of Super Rugby Pacific are seemingly in a similar predicament, fighting for their lives. It was confirmed at the end of the previous month that the Rebels had entered voluntary administration and owing up to AU$9 million in debt, of which around AU$1 million was due in hire fees to the Australian Taxation Office for AAMI Park, their home field. But when the Rebels disclosed this week that ten of their employees, including the CEO, had lost their jobs, the crisis got worse. Things are not looking good, but maybe they will soon receive a financial boost that would enable them to survive.

Bad posture Dan:We can understand coaches getting frustrated after a close loss, and Dan McFarland experienced that on Sunday as his team lost 19–17 to the Ospreys due to a late Dan Edwards drop goal. Nevertheless, on the same weekend that World Rugby released its report, the Ulster manager chose to dedicate the most of his post-match news conference to attributing the defeat to two calls from the officiating team. The Ulster boss was trying to deflect with a cheap shot. Perform better.