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Gloucester statement: Zach Mercer joins from Montpellier

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Action Foto Sport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Zach Mercer has put himself in the shop window for England selection for the 2023 World Cup finals in France after Gloucester officially confirmed that the Montpellier No8 has signed for them for the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership season. The deal will allow the ex-Bath back-rower to come in for England selection consideration from next June onwards, just in time for Jones’ squad preparations for the tournament.      

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A club statement read: “After much speculation, Gloucester Rugby is pleased to confirm the signing of Zach Mercer ahead of the 2023/24 season. The Leeds-born No8 is currently plying his trade in Montpellier, having signed for the Top 14 side in 2021 after five years with Bath Rugby. 

“With two England caps to his name – as well as 17 for England U20, including ten as captain – Mercer has made a lasting impression in France over the past twelve months. He helped secure Montpellier’s maiden Top 14 title, contributing to three first-half tries (including crossing the whitewash himself) in a man-of-the-match performance hailed by rugby fans and media alike.

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“Nominated for World Rugby junior player of the year in 2017, the 25-year-old received his first call-up to the senior England team in the same year, going on to secure his debut Test cap against Japan in the 2018 autumn internationals.”

Mercer said: “To be given the opportunity to come back and play in the Premiership with Gloucester is one that I couldn’t turn down. The loyal fans and atmosphere at Kingsholm is something I can’t wait to be part of.  

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“Alex Brown, George Skivington and the whole coaching group are building a strong team and a great environment on the field, and I believe I can add a lot of value. I can’t wait to wear the jersey in front of The Shed and be part of Gloucester’s future. I have another season here with Montpellier and I’ll be giving all my focus to the club to try to secure back-to-back titles and European cup success.”

Gloucester Rugby head coach Skivington added: “We’re building a solid group at the club with very little movement in or out, so to have secured Zach for next season is a testament to the player he is both on and off the field.  

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“His performances for Bath and Montpellier are evidence enough of his capabilities. He has a top-class work rate, outstanding ball-carrying skills and is solid in defence. He will undoubtedly bring a further dimension to add to our current back row. We have got a big season coming up, which will remain our sole focus; it’s great to have such a talent coming in to compliment the set-up next year.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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