Zach Mercer has lifted the lid on his relationship with England head coach Eddie Jones, who told the rugby star he was "fat and lazy" before they'd even met.
Mercer, 24, made his senior debut for Bath in September 2016, a little less than 12 months into Jones' time as England boss. Still a teenager with dreams of making it into the national-team set-up at the time, however, his first brush with the Australian left an impression for all the wrong reasons.
“I remember the first phone call I had with him. He actually rang me and goes ‘Mate, Eddie here,’ and I’m like ‘Oh, hi.'" recalled Mercer during his appearance on the RugbyPass Offload podcast. "I wasn’t playing for Bath that long. And he was like: ‘Mate. Do you want to play for England?’ and I’m like ‘yeah.’ And Eddie goes: ‘Well you effing don’t look like you want to play for England. You’re fat, you’re lazy.’ I was like 'Oh, my god' and go ‘Yeah,’ and the phone call’s done. That’s it. It’s over.”
Given the context and the fact they'd never met before, such criticism might have been enough to put some youngsters off for good. Mercer knuckled down, however, and established himself as an important member of the Bath squad before earning his senior England debut in November 2018.
Three years passed without a recall to the England fold, however, and he moved to Montpellier in the summer of 2021. There, he's helped Philippe Saint-Andre's side reach the summit of the Top 14, and Mercer—who scored 26 tries in 86 appearances for Bath—went on to say he 'kind of likes' Jones' abrupt manner, looking favourably on a reunion some day.
“I think he respects me a lot more that I took this opportunity and have gone to France because I wanted to develop my game," added the twice-capped international. "I think he looks at me slightly differently than he did before.
“I really enjoy speaking to Eddie when I get the opportunity. He tells me how it is and he doesn’t beat around the bush. I would love to play under him again at some point.”
It's difficult to envision how that reunion will come to pass, with Jones likely to be replaced in his post following the 2023 Rugby World Cup. It seems highly unlikely Mercer will leave France this summer given the rich form he's enjoying, and England won't select players from outside the Premiership.
The national team's loss is Montpellier's gain in that case, with Mercer a vital fixture in Saint-Andre's plans. An England homecoming may await down the line, at which point Jones' successor may be the one to benefit from the clear strides he's made in the Top 14.
