'It was just internal motivation for the French boys, they don't take it well'

Toulon No.8 Zach Mercer has said his team-mates were handed “internal motivation” by the way they were written off before beating Glasgow Warriors in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals at Scotstoun.

Despite floundering in 11th place in the Top 14 this season, the three-time European champions matched the United Rugby Championship leaders throughout the contest to seal an unlikely 22-19 victory in Glasgow.

It was a result that few people expected heading into the match, but that only added fuel to the fire for the visitors, as Mercer explained after the match.

Mercer added that an interaction with a worker at the airport summed up the prevailing attitude towards his side.

The two-cap England international featured from the bench in the final 15 minutes, producing nine carries in that time in an eye-catching display. He even joked that he thought he would be in contention to win player of the match from the bench, as his compatriot Alfie Barbeary did the day before for Bath against Northampton Saints.

“Do you know what I think it was?” the England international said to Premier Sports.

“I think it was probably everyone doubting us before we came here. There’s so much press on Glasgow about how they’re going to go and win this thing. Even you punditry boys said Glasgow are going to win. For us, it was just internal motivation for the French boys, they don’t take it well.

“I’ll tell you a story. I got off the plane and went to WH Smith, got a little healthy snack, the woman goes ‘Do you play rugby? Who are you playing?’ And I said Glasgow and she laughed and said ‘Haha good luck with that,’ and I was like ‘what, are they supposed to be good, are they?’ Just stuff like that, boys just get that motivation from it.”