Zach Mercer reveals he was asked to stay in France and eventually represent Les Blues

Sitting along the shoreline of the Mediterranean, Zach Mercer retraces the route he took when he chartered a sailboat for the day. Accompanied by his brother-in-law, who has a skipper’s license, they set off from the Le Grau-du-Roi marina and found a calm water pond to drop anchor for lunch.

“Look at him,” he says, sipping his coffee. ‘It’s lovely. A few fishing boats around, all the seafood is very fresh. I will miss him when I move home. How could you not?

Every once in a while, a Frenchman walks by and recognizes his sun-kissed face hidden under a baseball cap. “C’est Zach Mercer!” they say, dazzled by the Englishman who has become a local hero here.

But his days here are almost over. She will join Gloucester this summer, relocating to the UK ahead of the birth of her first child. He will pack up his silver haul from his two years at Montpellier, say goodbye and head home with dreams of making it back to the England team.

“Coming here was the best decision I’ve ever made, but my wife is pregnant so it’s the right time to move home and settle down. It’s a place that will be in our hearts forever, but the baby is due in July, so we’ll be back by then. And hopefully the time is right with the World Cup…’

The 25-year-old was named Top 14 of the year during his spell as Montpellier’s vice-captain

Named one of the Top 14 Players of the Year, Mercer has taken his game to new levels. He sacrificed his short-term international hopes, having won both of his caps in 2018 under Eddie Jones, to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Montpellier had an open checkbook ready to keep him in the south of France, but the pull of England proved too strong.

I talked to a few clubs and narrowed it down to Gloucester and Bath. Bath will always have a place in my heart. I spoke to Johann van Graan there, but it didn’t work out. When I visited Gloucester, I knew it was the place where I wanted to be.

‘I love the tribal nature of Kingsholm. That’s how it is here in France. Fans booing and yelling in your face. The chance to work alongside guys like Lewis Ludlow, Ruan Ackermann and Albert Tuisue, Matias Alemanno, Freddie Clarke. I loved meeting George Skivington. You can see how much he cares. He told me that he thinks he should be in the England setup and that you want a manager who cares about you and believes in you. However, I know you don’t just walk in. You have to earn it.’

The Scotland youth international won two caps for England in 2018 during his time at Bath.

This week, Mercer and his wife will board the two-hour flight from Montpellier to Gatwick. He has the week off, so he heads to the UK to catch up with some old friends and see his new country home.

I spoke to Steve Borthwick three or four weeks ago. He wanted to raise his hand and say, “I’m here, don’t forget about me.” We had a very good conversation. In the Premiership it wasn’t really a valid lineout option, but now I’m the main jumper in Montpellier and I’ve been calling the lineouts for the last three or four weeks. I hope that can work in my favor.

You can’t elect me until July 1, so let’s see how things stand then. Sam Simmonds and Alex Dombrandt are playing very well. I want to fight for that place in England. That’s why I want to go back. It would mean a lot to me, but no one has the right to just walk in. I speak to Richard Cockerill every week. I am at a distance, but I do not feel that I am forgotten. I know I’m there in World Cup talks, but ultimately my performances here will decide that. Hopefully we have some rugby finals ahead of us.’

Before his return to the Premiership, Mercer told England manager Steve Borthwick not to forget him.

As vice-captain, Mercer has learned to lead the team in his second language. He has carried the ball more than any other player in Europe and led Montpellier to their first national title. The talent of him has become impossible to miss. Even France coach Fabien Galthie took notice. ‘Fabien Galthie is from Montpellier, so he sometimes comes to train. We had some conversations on the touchline and he said, “Why don’t you stay and play for France?”

“I like him a lot as a manager. Whether what he said was ironic or not, I’m not sure! It’s hard to tell when you’re speaking a second language. If I lived here for another three years, it would be an option. But I want to play for England. That’s my dream. I’m 100 percent clear on that. If it doesn’t happen this year, I know I’m young enough to have another chance.

The conversation turns to the local way of life. He talks about road trips to Geneva and befriending Montpellier’s English striker Stephy Mavididi, who used to play for Arsenal. Mavididi arranged tickets for him to a recent match against Paris Saint-Germain and Mercer will return the favor with rugby seats before he moves home.

Since he was in Montpellier, Mercer became friends with the soccer player Stephy Mavididi

And what about your memories of Eddie Jones? “I had a couple of meetings with him,” says Mercer. Eddie is interesting. I met him in Aix-en-Provence before the Champions Cup final and he wanted me to come back to England and then take me on tour to Australia. I said, “Eddie, I can’t do that, I owe it to Montpellier to finish my senior year.”

“Then I met him at barbarian week a few months ago and it was a whole different conversation. I took an hour taxi to find it and was there for 10 minutes. I hadn’t even finished my water and he said, “Okay, you can go now.” That was a difficult question to accept. He’s a world-class trainer, but maybe I didn’t catch him in his best mood that day. Maybe I didn’t understand it very well, but I will always be grateful for the hats he gave me.

Next Saturday, Mercer’s eyes will turn to Twickenham for England’s game against France. Mercer has a foot in both camps, but there’s no question where his loyalty lies.

France manager Fabien Galthie even proposed to the wing that they represent Les Blues.

“It was hard for me to watch England games, but not anymore,” he says. ‘I’m looking forward to it. It could be one of the best games of the Six Nations.

“There is a massive perception in French rugby that they tire easily, they are lazy, slow in the park. I had that perception when I came, but it’s not true. They are the fittest players I have ever seen, topping fitness tests in 30 degree heat.

‘They kick a lot, they chase hard, they fly off the line to get the ball back and then they come to life. They get the most beautiful attempts of the competition. They trust mistakes and then characters like Damian Penaud, Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack come to life.

‘There is so much individual brilliance in the team and they always want to beat England. There are many jokes. The boys here call me ‘roast beef’. Their team is ridiculous, but I don’t think England have played their best rugby yet. It’s an exciting time for the game.

And it’s also an exciting time for the Mercer family. When the sun goes down, she goes to his villa. Time is up, but we’ll be seeing a lot more of him very soon.