From starting against the All Blacks to rugby's scrap heap in just 24 months: the rise and fall of Darryl Marfo
Eventually, after months of injury anguish and maddening non-selection, an age holding the Edinburgh tackle bags knowing his chances of playing were as remote as seeing Richard Cockerill in a tutu, Darryl Marfo needed to get out.
In two years, he had gone from starting for Scotland against the All Blacks to Edinburgh’s fourth-choice loosehead prop. The trajectory that had taken him from club-less and considering premature retirement to the international game had not so much hit a plateau as plummeted.
He played 21 minutes of rugby in 2018/19 and by December last year, none at all the following season. Since joining Edinburgh in 2017, Marfo had made just eleven outings. His career had fallen stagnant and at 29 years old, he couldn’t go on.
“When you know, you know,” Marfo told RugbyPass. “I couldn’t do what I wanted with Edinburgh and I couldn’t do for Edinburgh what they needed me to. I wanted the match-day 23 to have the best preparation they could, but there is only a certain amount of time you can keep spending in that position where you’re just holding the bag, not doing anything meaningful.
“Part of my problem is that I’m not big on reflective glory. A lot of people tell me I need to lighten up and not be so hard on myself. I want everything to be unrealistically perfect. I’d never, ever be the kind of person to put on my kit, go and train with Edinburgh and say, ‘This is great’. If you’re not playing, you’re not a rugby player – you’re a professional trainer. That is the truth.”
Naturally, Cockerill, the pugnacious Edinburgh coach, didn’t sugar-coat the predicament Marfo was in. With the arrival and stupendous impact of Pierre Schoeman, the signing of Jamie Bhatti and the return to fitness of Rory Sutherland, Marfo practically needed injuries, Scotland call-ups and dramatic losses of form all at once to get a look-in.
Despite the meagre game time, Edinburgh were good to Marfo, and ultimately, player and club reached what he describes as an “amicable” settlement. That allowed Marfo to cut short his contract and free himself up for new suitors.
“One thing I really respect about Cockers is his honesty,” he said. “It’s only now when I’m out of the environment that I really appreciate him doing that. I understand coaches have a million things to worry about, and they’re always trying to keep the environment positive to make it as successful as it can be. But what in turn happens is that sometimes people avoid telling hard truths.
“When I was doing well, Cockers told me, and when I wasn’t doing so well, he told me that too. If you asked him what the craic was with something, he’d tell you to your face. I’ll never lay any blame at his door. I’ll take responsibility for everything that happened. I’m in charge of my performance. Realistically, I wasn’t going to play, so it’s either sitting around or trying to make something different happen.”
Manufacturing opportunity from adversity is no new concept. Arguably, it is Marfo’s ability to endure, adapt, and thrive off the paddock that is more impressive than the considerable quality he delivers on it.
After emerging from the Harlequins academy, he struggled to oust the internationals blocking his path to the first team. He left for the Championship seeking precious match minutes, had stints with London Scottish, Ealing Trailfinders and London Welsh before the latter went bust and he joined Bath on a short-term deal. With no longer contract in the offing, he emailed Jonny Petrie, Edinburgh’s former managing director, and engineered a move north.
Although raised on a coarse but loving estate in central London, Marfo and his brother spent many happy childhood weeks holidaying in Ayrshire, where their mother Cheryl is from. It was through Cheryl that a sense of Scottishness always resonated, and he capitalised on a spree of injuries to face Samoa, take part in an agonising loss to New Zealand and an evisceration of the Wallabies in successive weekends in November 2017.
The general consensus was that this unknown behemoth from Pimlico had played a blinder on his first steps in Test rugby. “There was pride and happiness that I’d kept going through all the times where it seemed it wouldn’t happen,” Marfo said.
📰: Prop Darryl Marfo has left Edinburgh Rugby with immediate effect, with the decision aimed at allowing the prop to find a new club.
"We thank Darryl for his hard work during his time at the club and we wish him all the best moving forward.”https://t.co/lmpCRaoyyg
— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) December 10, 2019
“Being an international rugby player can depend on so many things. I’ve seen guys playing in the Championship who, in my opinion, are better than some internationals that I’ve been around. I believed I had the ability to do it if I put in the work. I got the opportunity and I showed that I did have the ability to compete and perform on that stage. It was a nice vindication.”
In January, the Ospreys’ need for looseheads was nearly as grave as Gregor Townsend’s was that autumn. The region were losing props like coins down a sofa and losing matches nearly as fast. Marfo’s first start was the gentlest of baptisms, a Champions Cup pool match against scandal-hit giants Saracens.
The holders were not fielding all of their galacticos, and lost Rhys Carre to a fifth-minute red card, but they were still an almighty beast for a team in dire straits and a prop who hadn’t played a competitive beat since November 2018.
He got 73 minutes that day, trudging from the pitch spent but satisfied. There was only one more appearance before the Covid-19 pandemic hit and rugby toppled into a state of indefinite adjournment, but the slog against the champions renewed his confidence that he still belongs in that sphere.
“You’re sort of back to competing against the top players. People say that it wasn’t a full-strength Saracens side, but there was still George Kruis starting and Vincent Koch coming off the bench.
“Once you’ve come through it, you can say that you did contribute to the team, and showed that you could still perform at that level. Being a prop is so simple. If you’re able to tackle, carry, do your set-piece, you can clearly do what’s required. As long as I’m fit, I can operate and I can read the game quite well.
“I’m not saying I’m going to be like Ellis Genge, he’s crazy physically gifted. I’m Darryl Marfo, no-one else. I can provide a solid set-piece, the niggly bits in the loose, and cover the space that I need to.”
The spreading virus denied Marfo the opportunity to showcase himself more fully. There was interest from France, in both the Top 14 and Pro D2, but that has since waned.
Partly, it’s the pandemic visiting financial havoc across the game. It’s also Marfo’s unfortunate berth in the constricted middle tier of a toiling market – neither a burgeoning hotshot nor a world-class icon. And he isn’t English or French-qualified, which renders him less attractive to clubs in the twos richest European leagues.
“I’ve been through it before, so I’m able to understand that certain things will be what they will be,” he accepted. “It doesn’t make it any easier. Being in that squeezed middle is becoming harder. You’re not the young kid; you’re not the world star. That’s the tough position that people are finding themselves in now, no matter the quality of the player.
“My friend Luke Wallace was outstanding for Quins for nine years but he was part of that squeezed middle, he couldn’t get a contract in the top flight and had to go to the Championship. Is he not good enough to play in the Prem? No, clearly he is. But finances and the way clubs are run, that’s what happens to some guys.”
The deck is stacked against Marfo once more. Whatever the odds, you’d be a fool to bet against him.
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments