Top 14: Zach Mercer, Toulon's new destroyer

Before the season began, RCT manager Pierre Mignoni had said with a knowing smile: "I think he's out for revenge for his English adventure. You'll ask him a little more..." Before giving the floor to the person concerned, a little reminder is in order. Zach Mercer, tired of not getting his chance with the XV de la Rose, arrived in Montpellier in the summer of 2021. Almost anonymously.

He's 24 years old, has a junior world championship title dating back to 2016, and two spells of international selection that didn't come to fruition. A resume inversely proportional to his on-field prowess. A tackling flanker who's omnipresent at every hot spot, and is also adept with the ball to ensure continuity of play.

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At the MHR, his popularity exploded. In his first season, he took Montpellier to the final , sent Arthur Vincent to try with a low kick, and lifted the Brennus shield with his teammates , the only dent in Toulouse's hegemony since 2019. In the process, Zach Mercer was voted by his peers as the best player of the Top 14 season.

He spent his second season in Hérault, warning that he would return to England at the end of his term. The England coach dangled a place in the squad that would compete in the 2023 World Cup in front of him, provided he returned home. So he signed for Gloucester. A strong choice, a clear commitment. Only to be dreadfully disappointed. He was not retained in the XV de la Rose squad.

I prefer to give everything to be a great club player than to chase an international career that won't take off.

So how did he deal with this betrayal? "As for rugby, it took me a while to come to terms with it, but it's now clear in my head: I prefer to give everything to be a great club player than to chase an international career that won't take off ," he told Var Matin. "Perhaps they didn't like my face? Or simply that my profile wasn't what they expected? In any case, it doesn't matter, it probably wasn't my story..."

Also read : Six Nations: Zach Mercer's outburst, rejected again by England

Today, he swears, the bitterness has passed. "I gave myself the means to apply, by making the decision to return to England to try my luck. It didn't come. On the other hand, I spent two wonderful years at Gloucester, where I loved the club, and especially where I saw the birth of my two children." And he is delighted with his new French challenge, this time at RCT. "Ultimately, look where it takes me: I'm wearing the Toulon jersey, one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest. What more could you ask for?"

It doesn't take long for Zach Mercer to ask for more. Lifting the Brennus Shield again, winning the Champions Cup—he makes no secret of his lofty ambitions. Not unlike those of his compatriot and RCT legend, Jonny Wilkinson...

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Revengeful, certainly. But also in his best physical and mental shape. Last November, the flanker suffered a serious injury: a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. That meant the end of the season and eight months without rugby. And even without a club, as he revealed that "Gloucester didn't want me at the club anymore. So I was at home, doing my own rehabilitation with a private physiotherapist..."

I feel like I'm being renewed. In my head, in my body. I've been refreshed, and I'm even hungrier.

It is therefore with a tenfold desire and an unprecedented freshness that he returns to the field. "This injury has, ultimately, been an incredible opportunity to help my body recover. I have been a pro since the age of 18, I had never had a real interruption to allow it to regenerate , he told L'Équipe . It's healthy to take a step back from rugby, to prioritize something else. I was finally able to spend time with my family. I have two young children (..), I was able to make myself available. It did me a world of good..." In a press conference, he confirmed the benefits of this forced break. "I feel like I've been renewed. In my head, in my body. Now, I've been fresh, and I'm even hungrier."

He demonstrated this in his first match with the lily of the valley jersey, last Saturday in… Montpellier. Where he played a nasty trick on his former team. Toulon won 27 to 17, with, in the process, a try to his credit. No regrets? “My time at Montpellier was magnificent. I have many memorable memories. But I love new adventures, new challenges. And I would have been crazy to refuse Toulon, with such a squad, a great coach and a unique place,” Zach Mercer replied to Midi Libre . Before adding: “I wanted to create something new elsewhere. I want to win titles with Toulon over the next three seasons and I am very enthusiastic about this challenge.” Pierre Mignoni was right. Zach Mercer is (very) vengeful.