Zach Mercer: Gloucester-bound number eight relishing Barbarians showcase
- Published
Mercer was part of the Montpellier team that won the club's first top-flight French title in June
Barbarians v All Blacks XV |
|---|
Date: Sunday, 13 November Kick-off: 14:00 GMT Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium |
It has been more than four years, but the names flow easily for Zach Mercer.
"Josua Tuisova, Josh Matavesi, Finn Russell, Rhys Webb, Semi Radradra, Chris Ashton, Victor Vito, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe - the team was loaded," he told BBC Sport.
"I remember looking at the line-up and thinking, 'this is ridiculous'."
So it turned out.
On a sweltering day in May 2018, a 20-year-old Mercer suffered at the hands of that all-star Barbarians side.
His first England match began with the Baa-Baas running in three tries in the opening 11 minutes.
It ended with retiring Argentina back row Lobbe strolling through a black-and-white guard of honour to hoof the final conversion in a 63-45 win.
Now, things have turned full circle.
Mercer scored one of the 15 tries in England's 63-45 defeat by the Barbarians back in May 2018
Like Ashton, who scored a hat-trick that day, Mercer will turn out for the Barbarians on Sunday hoping to strengthen his case for an international recall.
"It will be another opportunity to step up and show I am ready for a Test-match environment," Mercer said before the game against a New Zealand XV.
"It is an international shop window to prove to the England coaches that I am still here and I want to play for England again."
For the immediate future, Mercer will stay stuck on two Test caps, won against South Africa and Japan later in 2018.
He has been at Montpellier since summer 2021 after a switch from Bath that put him out of England's reach but revitalised his stagnating career.
The 25-year-old has been a revelation across the Channel, breaking the biggest games with his agile, all-court play.
At home to Harlequins in the Champions Cup quarter-finals, he was irresistible, scoring two tries.
In the Top 14 season final, he was key to three tries in a landmark Montpellier win.
When he was named as the Top 14 player of the year in September, France's star scrum-half Antoine Dupont joked to a black-tie audience that he would end Mercer's international exile by recruiting him for France. , external
Dupont will have to join the queue. Mercer is ineligible, but very much in mind for Eddie Jones, with next summer's move to Gloucester putting the number eight in contention for France 2023.
"I speak to Eddie a fair bit. He came to one game out here and I also met him in Aix-en-Provence during the European Cup weekend in May," added Mercer.
"He wanted me to come back to England there and then, and go on tour to Australia. I said I would love to, but that I had a job to do at Montpellier.
"I think he respected that decision. Ultimately I probably speak to [England forwards coach] Richard Cockerill, who looks after the back row playing group, the most.
"I probably speak to him once a week to touch base.
"I am not naive to say I will walk straight in there - there are going to be Autumn internationals, Six Nations, World Cup training camps that I am going to miss with my contract situation - but if I get an opportunity to go into camp I will definitely take it."
Mercer will come back to England a changed player.
He believes the physicality and competitiveness of the Top 14, where newly promoted Bayonne have beaten Toulouse, Racing 92 and European champions La Rochelle already this season, have made him tougher and more adaptable.
His game has changed, but the game itself has changed too.
Mercer's skillset is back in fashion.
"If you look at international eights playing around the world, they are not the big battering rams they used to be," he added.
"Evan Roos and Jasper Wiese at South Africa are strong, but not massive. Gregory Alldritt here in France is more nimble, New Zealand's Ardie Savea is similar. They are more ball players.
"Something France developed is that the second rows are now the big units - Paul Willemse and Romain Taofifenua to name just two.
Allow Instagram content?
This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
"I think the game is changing, and England's game is changing too because they have to develop the way they want to win games."
Mercer's role at Montpellier next season will be filled by Sam Simmonds, a similarly swift and skilful back row, who is leaving Exeter for the Top 14.
The two may end up battling it out for a spot in England's World Cup squad, but Mercer has already had an hour-long phone call with Simmonds to offer advice about the club and city.
With Premiership salary bills squeezed and contracts up at the end of this World Cup cycle, Simmonds may not be the last to ask, either.
"I was open and honest with him. I think he is going to love it here, he will fit in really well. It is a perfect move," said Mercer.
"You will see a lot more players coming over, and not just the older generation, but younger players as well.
"There are probably about 10 English players in the Top 14 at the moment and I expect that to double or triple over the coming years."
Mercer's French renaissance will be the example they all want to emulate.
Are natural deodorants healthier? Sliced Bread breaks into a sweat to find out
'He isn't the monster people think': The fascinating story of 'Michael X' - a preeminent Black Power leader of his age
