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'His durability is outstanding': How Harlequins have reaped the huge benefit of Joe Marler's England no-show

(Photo by Dan Mullan/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)

When the RFU conducts its review of the abysmal Guinness Six Nations championship, one factor under consideration is going to be the Covid bubble restrictions and whether they were too severe. The restrictions did for Joe Marler as an England player in 2021. 

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Although chosen in the original 28-man squad on January 22, the 72-cap prop decided that the lack of movement in and out of camp wasn’t for him given his busy family situation, three children and another one on the way.  

By January 25, it was made public that Marler was dropping out of the England squad and he went with the blessing of Eddie Jones who said at the time, “Joe has made a decision that we 100 per cent support.

Video Spacer

All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick talks about Eddie Jones’ struggling England team

Video Spacer

All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick talks about Eddie Jones’ struggling England team

“When he decides to make himself available again we will have another look at selection. And that’s how we look at it – 100 per cent. No ifs or buts, it’s as clear as day. There will be some time in the future when he is ready to come back and will get selected. We will take that when it comes.”

The irony about what subsequently unfolded was that while England struggled for pack momentum, an issue visible in how outplayed Mako Vunipola and Ellis Genge both were in Dublin last Saturday in the final round of an awkward championship, Marler has been enjoying a rich vein of form back at Harlequins. 

England’s loss was very much his club’s gain, Marler reeling off eight appearances, seven straight starts, 537 minutes of action in a run where Quins have reaped six wins and leapt up to third place on the table despite losing head of rugby Paul Gustard in January. Assistant coach Adam Jones has been thrilled with watching the loosehead, who turns 31 in July, hit top form at a time of the year when he usually unavailable to Harlequins and busy with England.

“If you any team in the Premiership if they want a Six Nations block with Joe Marler in their team, then you’d want him. For me, he is one of the top five scrummagers in world rugby, not even Premiership. He is outstanding, an outstanding scrummaging loosehead. 

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“You align that with getting Matt Symons back fit and Wilco Louw finding his feet now in the Premiership, the different ways the scrum is up here, Marler has been massive and it’s been good to have him in. He can be an interesting character but he has been fantastic and we were glad to have him and he is rubbing off with the young kids as well and you can see the influence he has got on the team.

A former Test-playing prop himself for Wales, Jones knows the demands on time that come with being an international standard player and he has the utmost admiration for how Marler has handled his current situation.   “Family comes first, his wife is pregnant, he has got three other kids.

“I’m sure it was a tough call for him but it’s probably magnified how you have to isolate and how your time in (England) camp is a bit different now in the Covid. He has done the right decision by his family which is the most important thing and we are reaping the benefits.     

“He’s fit as a fiddle,” added Jones, referencing the hefty number of minutes Marler has played in recent months for Harlequins. “He looks after himself. He is incredibly professional, he has got his own gym and looks after himself really well. 

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“I know he is a big f***er but he looks after himself really well. His durability is outstanding and he’s digging in. Even when he shouldn’t be digging in he will dig in injury-wise which probably isn’t sometimes the way of the modern-day rugby player, but he will go through a bit of pain to play and we’ll pick him because is a world-class rugby player.”

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J
JPM 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 1 hour ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

12 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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