Meet Isaac Mears, the Bath scrum-half who has enjoyed a memorable few months
Mears in action for England Under-19s, before turning his focus back to Bath and BUCS Super Rugby
©RFU Collection via JMP UK
"It’s been an exciting few months," Isaac Mears says as he takes his seat to chat with TRU.
In the space of a couple of weeks, the scrum-half has won a BUCS Super Rugby league title, captained the England Under-19s, and earned a new contract in the Bath Rugby Academy - an incredible run of achievements for any player, let alone an 18-year-old.
Mears plays alongside some of the best young English talent in the country, in a Bath academy renowned for producing top professional rugby players.
In his first season out of school, he has also gone straight into one of the country’s strongest university rugby set-ups at the University of Bath.
The local lad established himself as a key figure in the squad’s recent title win, missing only one game in a team that has used 49 players this term.
“It’s the first time Bath have done it [win the BUCS Super Rugby league title] and it felt pretty special,” says Mears, reflecting on a memorable night in Durham where 'The Brothers' created history.
"You could see that with how the coaches felt."
One of those coaches, and integral to Bath's success, is Head of Rugby Aaron James.
"Aaron has been amazing in the way he manages us and our game time," Mears, the son of former Bath and England hooker Lee Mears, adds. "He’s managed to build such a great squad where we can mix and match teams, and we all still know the game plan."
Bath have found ways to win in different styles this season, employing strategies that complement the impressive size and quality of their squad.
"Our forwards have got us on the front foot," Mears explains. "It allows me to pick, jump and bounce with the ball to interest defenders. Our strong backline means that when we do pull it out to the edge, they can get us on the front foot as well."
A fast, expansive game is a key aim for Bath as they prepare to enter the BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championship quarter-finals against Cardiff University on Wednesday.
This approach suits Mears perfectly as a quick and agile scrum-half, but he and the team are also aware of managing pace and territory in tighter matches, a strategy that was evident in recent key victories over Loughborough and Durham.
As a scrum half aspiring to play for Bath Rugby in the future, Mears also highlighted the importance of feeling the pressure and momentum of university matches. That focus on game management has also encouraged him to develop his kicking game.
"I’ve been challenged on the consistency of my box kicks with their height and hang time," he says. "It is really important for me in pushing on to Bath and how important it is in the game in the Prem and the Prem Cup."
Mears has also had the fortune of learning from one of the best exponents of that skill, Bath captain Ben Spencer.
"He’s just super consistent," Mears says. "You watch him in training and every kick looks the same. He drops it on the money every time."
Mears’ form in BUCS Super Rugby earned him a new Bath Rugby Academy contract, graduating to the Senior Academy alongside university teammates Max Pearce and Alfie Griffin.
"I was super happy when they offered it to me. I’ve been a Bath boy my whole life, played in the juniors and went to games every week."
His performances in the Blue and Gold of the University of Bath also earned him a call-up to the England Under-19s, recently captaining the side against Japan on Saturday.
"Super honoured to do it," Mears, who also scored in the 45-31 loss, says. "It has always been a dream to play and represent the rose."
Riding the crest of a wave after England selection, a BUCS Super Rugby triumph, and a new contract, Mears shared his goals for the future.
"It would be nice to win BUCS again, hopefully get involved with the Prem Cup next season and have some involvement for the England Under 20s, either in the World Championship or in the Six Nations."
Ambitions are high for the young scrum half. With the BUCS Milk Championship coming up, he will have to refocus on student rugby, where he hopes to continue the momentum within Bath’s “special group of players.”
"You can just feel that the lads are hungry for these next few knockout games. We have a lot of boys coming back from internationals and playing for Bath, so we are looking forward to getting stuck into it and getting a good result against Cardiff.
“The message has been the job is not done. We’ve still got three more knockout games.
"Knockout games are different. Teams are a bit more up for it, but we’ve got a special group of lads and we feel we could do something special here.”
Momentum is clearly with the 18-year-old. With the Junior World Championship in Georgia on the horizon this summer, England selection could be within reach if Mears continues his superb season.
A league and cup double in BUCS Super Rugby would certainly cement that form, but Mears and his 'Bath Brothers' know it won’t be straightforward.
Cardiff will arrive at ‘The Yard’ on Wednesday as huge underdogs, but they carry the confidence of an impressive finish to the campaign, having squeezed into the play-offs.
For Bath, this is just the first of what they hope will be three big games over the next month, all leading to potential glory in the final at Rodney Parade on April 22nd - a stage that could well add another memorable chapter to Mears’ rapidly growing list of achievements.
Elsewhere in this week's BUCS Super Rugby Milk Championship, Loughborough host Hartpury in the East Midlands, Exeter face Cardiff Met at the Rubber Crumb, and Nottingham entertain Durham.
