‘I have no ambition to play for England again’ – Discarded forward takes aim at Steve Borthwick and offers Tom Willis exit theory
England head coach Steve Borthwick and Toulon number eight Zach Mercer.
England discard Zach Mercer has absolutely no intention to return to England after being snubbed by current head coach Steve Borthwick.
The number eight has been a consistent standout for whichever club he has played for, but he has been overlooked at Test level since his debut in 2018.
Eddie Jones refused to select Mercer when was starring for Bath, which led to the back-rower’s decision to take up a lucrative deal with Montpellier.
Such was his form in the Top 14, Jones convinced the number eight to return ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
Change of England head coach
However, the Australian was sacked in December 2022 with Borthwick taking over and the 46-year-old has never considered him for selection.
Mercer is now at Toulon having left Gloucester at the end of the 2024/25 season and he is loving life again.
“I left a lot back in Montpellier to come back to England and it didn’t work out. I had two kids when I was back in England so it was the best decision for our family and my wife was around her mum and dad,” he told the Telegraph.
“However, I went back to play for England and it was incredibly frustrating. I was not given one game or one opportunity to show what I could do, which at the time was really upsetting. At the time, it knocked me about mentally.
“Now it is in the past and I don’t bother thinking about it. Right now, I have no ambition to come back and play for England again.
“With the coach who is there at the moment, the door is closed. Who knows what will happen in a couple of years, but right now I am just focusing on enjoying my rugby and getting my family set up for the future.”
Mercer is not the only discarded English number eight plying their trade in France with Sam Simmonds featuring for Pau and Billy Vunipola at Montpellier.
They will be joined next season by Tom Willis in what is one of the more surprising moves of the year.
England regular
Unlike Mercer, Simmonds and Vunipola, Willis signed for Bordeaux-Begles after establishing himself as England’s first choice number eight.
It came as a shock to most observers but the 28-year-old understands why his fellow back-rower sees his future across the Channel.
“I think we come here with no pressure of international rugby. You are not worrying about being selected and wondering if your face fits in the environment,” Mercer added.
“Over here, you are who you are and the only thing you worry about is playing well for the club. I do believe that is why so many guys have reignited their careers over here.
“There is so much pressure with England selection. If you are on that cusp and not fully in the team, sometimes the best thing to do is get away from it. Rugby is a short career. You are not going to play forever.
“With the likes of Tom, he played overseas before, and he was probably like ‘I don’t need that stress and mental negativity’. When you come to France, you can just enjoy your rugby.”
