Philippe Saint-Andre has tipped Zach Mercer and Sam Simmonds to go to the World Cup with England.
The Montpellier boss has rated Mercer and Simmonds as England’s best No8s, and believes the duo should be part of Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad in the autumn.
Mercer won player of the year last term in helping Saint-Andre’s Montpellier to their maiden Top 14 title, while Simmons will replace him at the French giants next season.
Mercer will be eligible for England selection for the World Cup as he will join Gloucester in the summer, while Simmonds can also feature as his Montpellier commitments will not begin until after the global battle in France.
“After I coached the French team I was working for French TV for five years,” Saint-Andre told the Evening Standard Rugby Podcast. “I was working for French TV and commentating on all the Premiership matches.
“When I was commentating for those five years, I said that if I am back in business, I will sign two English players. And they will be Sam Simmonds and Zach Mercer. Sam Simmonds will come next year, and Zach Mercer is obviously here now, and he was the player of the year in the Top 14 last season.
“Zach Mercer, he is amazing for us. He was the best in France last season, very consistent. He works hard, he’s very, very skillful. He’s a fantastic rugby player, and his work rate it’s amazing.
“When you are a coach of internationals you need guys with a good work rate. He’s improved his defence a lot, now he’s very, very strong one to one and he understands the game. He will try to attack the weak shoulder. He’s a fantastic rugby player.
“I think Zach Mercer and Sam Simmonds, at the moment, are the two best No8s in England.”
Saint-Andre has raided Exeter for a clutch of top stars to join Montpellier for next term, with hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie to the fore in that group.
Cowan-Dickie has been out of action since January with ankle and neck problems, and nerve damage continues to pose problems for the England front-rower.
Saint-Andre revealed he met up with Cowan-Dickie in Exeter ahead of Montpellier’s last-16 Champions Cup loss to the Chiefs, with a medical in the offing in the coming weeks in France.
“I met him in Exeter and I hope everything will be fine,” said Saint-Andre. “I hope he will be fine, first of all for England because if he’s fit I think he will be at the World Cup.
“For us he will come soon to do all his medical tests, so we’re crossing our fingers.”
Hosts France will head to the World Cup among the hot favourites, after winning every Test in a stellar 2022 and continued strong form since the turn of the year.
Saint-Andre hailed French rugby’s move to introduce a minimum 16 French qualified player limit for match squads in the Top 14, that has helped a golden generation of current players thrive for Les Bleus.
The former Gloucester and Sale boss coached France from 2012 to 2015, and admitted his relief at a far-improved situation for current national boss Fabien Galthie.
“To be honest I would fight when I was coach of France, because in 2012 teams would be French champions with one or two French players in the squad,” said the 69-cap former France wing. Young players didn’t get game time and had to drop to the second division.
“We were looking through the wingers, and 85 per cent of them were from Fiji, and 88 per cent of the tighthead props were from Georgia. It was terrible for French rugby.
“The rules changed seven, eight years ago, and things have changed completely. Now young players stay in the Top 14 because they know they will play.
“You still need overseas players, but you need 16 French qualified players in your match squad. And it’s a big help for Fabien Galthie and his staff.
“The great group of players that won at Under-20s level for two years in a row has come through and flourished. The French team has never been as strong as it is at the moment.”
