sport news Joe Marler discusses the gung-ho style of his club side Harlequins trends now
Joe Marler can recall the date of his England debut without hesitation, but the significance of it has not occurred to him. The Harlequins prop’s Test career is now into its second decade.
‘It is surreal, now you’ve brought it up,’ he says, when asked by Sportsmail about the milestone. ‘Ten years ago. That’s quite cool.
‘My debut was in 2012 — June 9, in South Africa. It was tight in that first Test, but the next week it wasn’t. That day, after their fourth try, I was thinking, “We’re going to get 50 points put on us here”. I couldn’t get my breath. It was carnage. They had Bismarck and Jannie (du Plessis) and the Beast (Tendai Mtawarira) in their front row.’
Joe Marler said that he has changed a lot as a person across his long and storied career
Joe Marler says one of the worst moments of his career was the 2015 Rugby World Cup
Many memories remain close to the surface, ready for fresh reflection. Some are filed away into the deeper recesses, though. What about the highs and lows of that decade? ‘The best bit was the Grand Slam in 2016, on the back of what had happened in 2015 (World Cup), which I’ve sort of blocked out,’ says Marler. ‘And obviously the semi and the final last time (2019). I loved it.
‘The worst bit was probably Cheslin Kolbe rounding me, twice — and that World Cup campaign in 2015. It was awful, not just in terms of how we did, but also who I was. I can joke about it now but there was a period when I hated what I was. Now, I am far more comfortable with who I am. I’m more self-aware now.’
As he approaches his 32nd birthday, Marler has much more to offer — to club, but country? He retired from internationals in 2018, only to reverse his decision, then he missed last year’s Six Nations after opting out of a long spell in a Covid bubble, away from his family.
The prop believes Harlequins style has re-energised him in the game and kept him going
Last month, Marler was omitted from a Red Rose training camp, prompting speculation about his England involvement. So let us clear that up. He is ready to play, but it is a competitive area, with Ellis Genge, Mako Vunipola and Bevan Rodd all in the mix at loosehead.
‘I am available,’ says Marler. ‘The times I stepped out of it, there was a lot of other stuff going on. Having time away made me miss it and I’d quite like to play again. I’d love to go to Australia. I’d love to make it to the World Cup. But there are a lot of good players around. So it’s down to what Eddie (Jones) wants. He knows what he’s getting if he picks me.’
The time away was partly about Marler’s work-life balance — and that
