Montpellier’s Zach Mercer: ‘We’ve beaten the English champions and still get doubted’

Zach Mercer has a score to settle. Two, actually. One, a slow-burner bubbling in the background, comes in the shape of an England recall, having not played since his second Test in 2018. More immediately, though, he and his Montpellier teammates are out to underline their supremacy over the reigning Premiership champions.

Last Sunday, Mercer scored two tries as Montpellier comfortably beat Harlequins 40-26 in the south of France. They held a 34-0 lead but still enjoy a 14-point advantage heading into Saturday’s second leg despite a spirited fightback from the London club.

Even with the lopsided scoreline, much of the post-match chat this side of the Channel has focused on the losers, praising them like an ancient Greek pundit writing about Leonidas’s defeated Spartans. Even though Montpellier won by a two-try margin, they have not received the credit they deserve.

That, at least, is the perception within the Montpellier camp. “It’s been weird to be honest with you,” Mercer says, shifting from the upbeat tone he maintains for the rest of our conversation. “Sure, Quins are the masters of the comeback, but we still won by 14 points. It’s been frustrating to see so many articles that suggest Quins are favourites now. We don’t mind the confidence but the way it’s come across hasn’t gone down too well over here.

“But that excites us as a French team. We’ve just beaten the English champions and we still get doubted. It’s a great opportunity for us. We’re underdogs? Great! Who doesn’t like being underdogs? We can walk proud into the second leg with our tails up. We’re top of the Top 14 and we’re in a great position in the [Champions] Cup. They can doubt us. We have great belief in the camp.”

If Mercer chafes against the idea