‘I stepped away from England but I have my ambition back’
Gloucester’s Zach Mercer was protecting his mental health, but can stake a Test claim in tonight’s Challenge Cup final
From being “done” with England in January, Gloucester No8 Zach Mercer now has the fire back in his belly to pull on the red rose this summer and fulfil a long-held family ambition.
Mercer has no better showcase for his international credentials than tonight’s Challenge Cup final against a Sharks side littered with Springboks forwards, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
That the 26-year-old has been waiting nearly six years to add to a paltry tally of two England caps is in no way representative of his talent. For some of that stretch, Mercer was in France, winning the Top 14 title as well as the league’s player of the year award with Montpellier, where he was adored.
You could understand his frustration when he made himself eligible for international selection again by signing for Gloucester last summer, only to be cut from England’s World Cup training squad before the bibs had been handed out.
An eight-week lay-off early in his time at Gloucester did not help Mercer’s disposition and when England head coach Steve Borthwick told him he would not be involved in the Six Nations he said: “I’m done for the time being with that [England] and I’m just going to focus on Gloucester.”
Some people felt that was petulant, arrogant even. It is a notion Mercer is keen to redress. He saw it as a form of psychological reset, having previously spoken of his struggles with mental health.
“People probably read it and thought, ‘That guy is entitled’,” Mercer told Telegraph Sport. “I get that. I am not entitled. I was frustrated. I have always wanted to play for England.
“At that time, for my mental health, I needed to take a step back because it was hard to deal with disappointment all the time. It was probably affecting my family life at home. It was important for me to refresh and focus on Gloucester. Now I have got that ambition back that I want to pull the rose on.
“I just want to be given a shot to show what I can do on the international stage. If I take it, I take it. If I don’t, I don’t. There are some unbelievable No8s in the Premiership, so I don’t think it will be an easy opportunity. That’s why it is important to play in this big game for Gloucester to show what I can do on these big stages.”
The good news is that Mercer remains firmly in Borthwick’s thinking, as one of the most dynamic and elusive back-rowers in the Premiership. George Skivington, Gloucester’s director of rugby, revealed that 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 picture.”
An added incentive for making the tour, which starts in Japan and then heads to New Zealand, is so that Mercer’s grandmother, Kath Windley, who is based in Hokitika on the South Island, can watch him in the flesh. “Obviously to go to New Zealand and play in front of my grandma for the first time ever is a huge target,” Mercer said. “If I got that 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 sets off at 7am from his home in Leeds to come to Kingsholm. “Obviously when I was over in Montpellier he couldn’t do that so now he is making up for lost time. He loves it,” Mercer said.
Mercer’s role model was his father, Gary, a rugby league international for New Zealand who enjoyed a long, distinguished career in Super League. Mercer wants to achieve something similar for his daughter, Iris.
“I want to create a legacy,” Mercer said. “I want to create a career where if someone mentions my name they know who I am, especially for my kids. My little daughter is nine months old and I want her to grow up knowing who her dad was and what he did in life. I want to win trophies, I want to play for England and be as successful as I can be.”
It is a mark of Mercer’s continued excellence that in spite of his eightweek absence and Gloucester’s Premiership struggles, he has still featured in several team-of-the-season line-ups.
“I still don’t think I am anywhere near my best,” Mercer said. “That’s really exciting. I said to my wife the other day that I feel I was playing a lot better at Montpellier.
“I am happy with how I am going but I want to be the best I can be and I feel I have a lot more to offer on the pitch here and in an international jersey.”
‘I am not entitled. I was frustrated – it was probably affecting my family life’