England’s summer preparations for this year’s Rugby World Cup have suffered a setback after the decision of Sam Simmonds to make himself unavailable for the tournament. The talented Montpellier-bound No 8 has told the head coach, Steve Borthwick, he does not wish to be considered for selection, increasing the chances of Zach Mercer featuring in England’s eventual squad.
Simmonds performed outstandingly for Exeter in the later stages of this year’s Champions Cup but has struggled for recognition at Test level since Borthwick succeeded Eddie Jones late last year. Balancing the intense demands of World Cup training with relocating his family from Exeter to the south of France was never going to be easy and the 28-year-old’s switch to the Top 14 is already set to rule him out of Test contention next season.
