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JOE MARLER is back in the England squad after serving a 10-week ban for grabbing Alun Wyn Jones’ testicles in his last Test outing.
And it is fair to say that not many players have had more of a rollercoaster career than the England prop.
So SunSport have taken a look at some of Marler’s maddest moments as he reunites with boss Eddie Jones.
‘Complete B*******’
GRABBING Alun Wyn Jones by the balls has to be the, er ballsiest thing Marler has ever done.
And, of course, the most stupid.
The England prop was slapped with a 10-week ban for his testicle tickle on the Wales skipper in 2020.
Some fans even called for him to be done for sexual assault as he considered QUITTING rugby altogether.
After the bizarre Twickenham touch-up, furious Wales lock Jones said: “If I react I get a red card. Hopefully World Rugby have a look at it.
“Joe is a good bloke.. but there is all the footage that has been shown and a lot of supporters have seen what has happened.
“I looked across at the touch judge and he obviously didn’t see anything.
“But we talk a lot about TMOs and what they review, so it was frustrating this wasn’t dealt with there.”
Marler tweeted at the time: “B******s. Complete b******s.”
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Fighting Haskell
This mad moment was one that Marler actually won.
It all kicked off when Marler pulled James Haskell’s scrum cap off before squirting him with water!
Angry Haskell was the one who got a yellow card, though.
And the England flanker fumed: “He sprayed water in my face, you’re allowed to do that?
“Review it again, he sprayed water in my face and I reacted. And he choked me with my scrum cap, it’s not allowed!”
RED RAGE
AFTER being head-butted by Leicester Tigers’ Marcos Ayerza – Marler laid down a few punches as both were sent off in 2011.
Wayne Barnes dispatched both props after they got stuck into each other at The Stoop.
Nowadays, Marler has swapped glugging wine for sipping coffee when he asked for his England spot back from Eddie Jones for a second time.
Prop Marler famously quit Test rugby in 2018 – only to change his mind with a boozy meet-up with Jones when he sank a bottle of red with the England boss before his shock 2019 World Cup selection.
And after winning the Premiership with Quins for the second time last season, Marler is back in Sunday’s England squad for the first time since a 10-week ban for grabbing Alun Wyn Jones’ testicles in 2020.
Boss Jones said: “We kept in contact and we went for coffee down at Horsham and had a bit of chat – he wants to be part of it.
“His form at the end of the season was outstanding, his effort in the final and the semi-final was superb.
“He is in good form and he wants to be part of it and wants to give it a crack. We will see how we go with it.
“He is going to have to compete hard because there are some good players here.
“Ellis Genge, Bevan Rodd and Ben Obano all did brilliantly in the summer.
“Genge keeps developing as a player, Rodd is probably the most promising loose head around and Obano has really improved his game to warrant selection in the England squad.
“It is going to be good competition.”
Not only will Jones have colourful Marler to keep a lid on – but also coach Richard Cockerill – who takes his first session as a forwards coach at international level this week.
After hiring the fiery Leicester Tigers legend jones said: “We need good coaches.
“Assistant coaches’ jobs are to fill the cracks, they are there to make sure the team is absolutely prepared to the minute, filling in the details of what needs to be done.
“Richard has got a fine record. Ten years at Leicester as a coach, three or four years at Edinburgh, he has won trophies at Leicester, he has been everything from driving the bus to being director of rugby at Leicester.
“He has got a good spectrum of experience, he is a proud Englishman.
“When we introduced him at the coaches’ meeting one of the others got up a clip of him and the haka.
“You remember Norm Hewitt? When he went up to big Norman Hewitt and fronted him.
“He tells the story that Martin Johnson came up to him afterwards, I can’t repeat what he said, but it was quite funny.”
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