Zach Mercer has been a bright spot in a bumpy season at Kingsholm. Photo: Getty Images/Ryan Hiscott
From being 'done' with England, January, Gloucester number 8. Zach Mercer is now eager to pull the red rose again this summer and fulfill a long-held family ambition.
Mercer had no better example to illustrate his international achievements than in the Challenge Cup final against a Sharks side swamped by Springboks strikers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday night. It seems strange that the 26-year-old waited almost six years to add two England caps to his paltry tally, which in no way reflects his talent.
Mercer spent some time in France, winning the Top 14 title as well as the league's Player of the Year award with Montpellier, where he was admired and adored in equal measure. You could understand his disappointment when he became eligible for international selection again last summer by signing for Gloucester, only to be dropped from England's World Cup training squad before the starting numbers were even handed out.
< p>An eight-week layoff at the start of his time at Gloucester did not help Mercer, and when Steve Borthwick told him he would not be involved in the Six Nations, he told the BBC that “I'm done with it (England) for now, and I'm just going to focus on Gloucester.”
Mercer's time in France made him unselectable during the purple patch in the shape of. Photo: Getty Images/David Rogers
Some people found this irritable and even arrogant. It's a perception Mercer is seeking to correct. He saw it as a form of psychological reset, having previously spoken about his struggles with mental health.
“People probably read it and thought, 'This guy has a point,'” Mercer told Telegraph Sport. “I understand. I have no right. I was upset. I always wanted to play for England.
“At that time, for my mental health, I needed to take a step back because it was difficult to constantly deal with disappointment. This probably affected my family life at home as I struggled with these frustrations. It was important for me to take a step back, refresh myself and focus on Gloucester. Now my ambition has returned and I want to bring the rose to life.
“Everyone is different and England will select players depending on how they want to play the game, but I just want to be given the chance to show what I can do on the international stage. If I take it, I'll take it. If not, then no. There are some incredible eights in the Premier League who are doing very well, so I don't think it will be an easy opportunity. That's why it's important for Gloucester to play in this big game and show what I can do on these big stages.”
“It's a huge goal”
The good news is that Mercer remains a strong believer in Borthwick as he continues to prove that he is one of the most dynamic and elusive defenders in the Premier League. Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said Mercer is the first person Borthwick asks about when he calls. “You can’t ignore a talent like Zach,” Skivington said. “He's in the photograph.”
An added incentive for the New Zealand tour could be allowing Mercer's grandmother, Kath Windley, who lives in the small South Island town of Hokitika, to see him in the flesh for the first time. “Obviously going to New Zealand and playing in front of my grandma for the first time is a huge goal,” Mercer said. “She’s never seen me play live. If I had the opportunity, it would be really special.”
Family is a huge part of Mercer's motivation. For every Gloucester home game this season, his grandfather Bill leaves his home in Leeds at 7am to travel to Kingsholm. “He goes to Sheffield, gets on the train, goes to Wetherspoons and comes back again,” Mercer said. “Obviously when I was at Montpellier he couldn’t do it, so now he’s making up for lost time. He likes it.”
One of Mercer's two caps for England came against South Africa at Twickenham in 2018. : PA/Adam Davey
Unsurprisingly, Mercer's role model was his father Gary, a New Zealand rugby international who had a long and distinguished career in Super League. Leaving this type of mantle for his daughter Iris to consider is one of Mercer's main driving forces.
“I want to create a legacy,” Mercer said. “I want to have a career where if someone mentions my name, they know who I am, especially for my children. My little girl is nine months old and I want her to grow up knowing who her father was and what he did in life. Success is measured by what you achieve in the game and what you win. For me, I want to win trophies, I want to play for England and be as successful as possible. I wanted to get into the game to create a legacy and someone that my daughter could already be proud of.
“I remember my old man playing and how great it was to be a kid and come to practices and games , watch him play. I can't wait for my daughter to experience this. I want her to really show off. I just remember how cool it was. When you mention his name now, some people still recognize him, and I just think that's so cool.”
Of course, Mercer has inherited his father's footwork, which allows him to escape tackles in the smallest of spaces. “It's weird because I don't really practice it, my body seems to tell me what to do,” Mercer said. “You need pressure from someone trying to break you down, which only really happens in the game.”
It is a sign of Mercer's skill that despite his eight-week absence and Gloucester's difficulties in the Premier -league, he achieved success. still appears on the rosters of several teams of the season. Good news for Cherry & What White's (and perhaps England's) supporters believe is that Mercer believes he has yet to fully find his groove.
“I still don't think I'm anywhere near my best ability ” said Mercer. “It's really interesting. I told my wife the other day that I feel like I played much better at Montpellier. I'm happy with how things are going for me, but I want to perform at my best and I feel I have a lot more to offer on the pitch here and in the national team jersey.”
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