Zach Mercer bulking up at Bath to bolt into Eddie Jones' Rugby World Cup plans

The 21-year-old is looking to make an impact in the Premiership this season by upping his weight in the hope of keeping his place in the England squad

Zach Mercer has put on 3kg of muscle since last season (Getty)

Zach Mercer hopes this season is going to be big in more ways than one after bulking up throughout the summer in an effort to force his way into Eddie Jones’ England squad for the World Cup.

The Bath back-row got his first taste of playing for the senior side at the end of last season, albeit in the non-capped match against the Barbarians, that has already fuelled his desire for more in the hope of being the World Cup bolter for Japan 2019.

But with Billy Vunipola and Nathan Hughes ahead of him in the No 8 pecking order - and potentially Sam Simmonds too come the autumn - and a host of blindside options following the arrivals of New Zealand-born Brad Shields and South African Michael Rhodes, Mercer has decided to take matters into his own hands by piling on the pounds.

The 21-year-old is not eating more for the sake of eating more though. He did that two years ago while still at school, much to his detriment as Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder banished him from the squad for the start of the season due to a summer of indulgence. He will not make the same mistake.

“Two seasons ago I came back not in the shape I wanted to be in,” he said. “I had a little telling off from Todd and didn't play at the start of that season because I was a little overweight and unfit. I learned from that mistake and didn't do it again. When I went on holiday [this year] I made sure I was training hard so I could come back and hit the season running.”

Part of his summer conditioning was eating the right things in order to up his weight to become more of a threat physically, much like Vunipola and Hughes. Make no bones about it, Mercer’s sublime footwork would see him evade the pair inside a phone box, should one ever be made large enough to fit the three giant forwards inside it, but Mercer hopes that this new aspect to his game will make him more of a threat with the ball in hand - something that shone through on Bath’s recent Premiership victory over Harlequins.

“I’m renowned as an attacking player but I want to change the mindset of people and by that I have to try to get bigger and stronger,” Mercer explained. “I’ve put on three kilos this season but as long as I can still move and still play the way I want to play then I’m happy with that.

“Bath coaches as well as the England camp are happy with that too so as long as I can still do what I’m doing, just a little bit heavier, I feel like I can affect the game a little bit more.

The 21-year-old has already looked at his most powerful so far this season (Getty)

“It’s just hard work and it’s not easy, some people have it and some people don’t. For me I’m quite lucky that I get to put it on but it’s making sure it’s the right weight that’s being put on and it’s not just fat. That’s down to my S&C [strength and conditioning] coaches at Bath and conversations with the England S&C coaches too and the nutritionist, little stuff like that that you probably wouldn’t think has a factor but it does and I feel like I’m going to go on and enjoy it.”

There are two aims for Mercer this season that have evidently driven his summer bulk. The first is trying to tie down a place in the Bath back-row that also contains Wales No 8 Taulupe Faletau, England flanker Sam Underhill, Springbok veteran Francois Louw and club captain Matt Garvey, while the second is keeping his place in Jones’ plans for this autumn, next year’s Six Nations and the run into the Rugby World Cup.

Mercer hopes his improvements this season lead to more England opportunities (Getty)

“I have to come into this environment and enjoyed it,” he added. “I’ve got to keep fighting to stay in this environment. But now I have had a taste of it at Twickenham, against the BaaBaas, it wouldn’t be normal if I didn’t want to push on.

“I don’t want to just sit there and be comfortable at that level. Every player you’ll speak to in this environment always wants to get better. No one has a perfect picture, especially me at 21. Everyone’s got a bit to learn. That’s why it‘s so important with the coaches we’ve got and the players we’ve got, you’re like a sponge and soak up all the information you can.”