Mercer bound for Top 14 Montpellier
Bath Rugby star number eight Zach Mercer has signed for French Top 14 side Montpellier according to the Daily Mail.
The newspaper quotes Montpellier billionaire owner Mohed Altrad saying: “Zach has signed,” having been linked with the club back in November.
Talismanic forward Mercer, who is currently keeping Wales great Taulupe Faletau out of the number eight shirt at Bath with the British and Irish Lion playing on the flank in a world class back row with Sam Underhill, is out of contract at Bath at the end of the season and has now reportedly agreed terms with the French side.
Mercer is one of a number of stars reported to have been unhappy with the pay cuts imposed on the Bath squad this summer due to the huge loss of revenue every Gallagher Premiership side has suffered because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen games played without fans behind closed doors to prevent the spread of the virus.
Back in July it was reported it took
Mercer’s team-mates turning up at his house at 10pm on the eve of the deadline to sign a new reduced salary contract to persuade him to put pen to paper on a new deal.
And Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper revealed recently Mercer’s absence at the end of the 2019/20 season was not due to injury as most believed, suggesting a potential rift between the player and coaching staff which has now been healed.
At just 23, Mercer still has plenty of time to add to his two England caps, but with national head coach Eddie Jones seemingly uninterested in the former U20s captain at the moment and plenty of competition for the number eight jersey at international level, he looks to have understandably turned his back on the national side having not featured since 2018 when featuring against Japan and South Africa.
A move to France would of course rule him out for international selection under England’s selection criteria. Bath are also expected to see lock Elliott Stooke leave the club for Wasps Rugby next season while fly-half Rhys Priestland has been linked with a move to Cardiff Blues.