Joe Marler remarks won't earn him any new fans in South Africa
Joe Marler had a twinkle in his eye. With a medal round his chest for his player of the match display in Harlequins’ 19-13 win in Bath, he was giving a trademark performance with BT Sport’s Sarra Elgan Easterby. A bit of wit, a pinch of self-deprecation, a handful of bants. Classic Joe.
Then the conversation turned to his team’s 11, 826 mile round trip to Durban to take on the Sharks in their opening game of this season’s European Rugby Champions Cup.
“You want to talk about Europe and we’re going to Natal Sharks next week,” Marler said, emphasising the word ‘Natal’ with an incredulous tone. His eyebrows raised, his eyes wide, the man could scarcely conceive of such a ridiculous notion.
He continued with a question: “Which is where?” Elgan Easterby answered with an awkward chuckle: “In South Africa”. Marler leaned back and with a self-satisfied expression reiterated the point. “In South Africa,” he proclaimed, as if he’d just told a colleague that their fly was down.
To be fair to Marler, his demeanour shifted when he spoke of a planned visit to a local orphanage. KwaZulu-Natal, to give the province its proper name, has endured an almost Biblically turbulent two years. Plague, floods, blackouts and enough political assassinations to fill the Books of Samuel have contributed to a ubiquitously despondent mood. Once again, rugby can act as a tonic.
But that was not the main takeaway from Marler’s post-match tête-à-tête. He encapsulated a sentiment that has been percolating ever since it was announced that the top five South African unions (or, if you’d prefer, franchises) will be competing in Europe’s premier club competitions.
Of course, Marler might have been play-acting for the cameras. He is, after all, a showman and understands better than most players that the spectacle is enhanced when it is filled with enigmatic characters. But by poking a pressure point he simultaneously touched a nerve.
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Writing for the Daily Mail in February this year, Sir Clive Woodward said it would be “brainless” to allow South Africa to join the hallowed halls of European rugby. He was referring to the Six Nations, but the overall attitude of his think-piece smacked of old-world elitism.
He had no such qualms with European clubs using South African muscle in order to elevate the standard of the continent’s game. Nor has he raised a stink after every European nation selected players with thick South African accents. As many as 27 of them have lifted the Champions Cup with 41 contesting the final since 1996. Was it brainless, Sir Clive, to include them?
This apprehension, though widespread, is not universal. A cursory glance across social media channels and below the line comment sections shows that there is enough goodwill from fans – the people who matter more than one Knight of the Realm – that is fuelled by more than curiosity. It would appear that this extra variable from Africa’s southern tip has been largely welcomed.
This column is for the optimists. It is for those who understand that borders are arbitrary and that continents are simply constructs of the mind. I’ve written previously on the angst emanating from certain pundits who’d prefer to see tradition trump progress. Much of their scepticism is rooted in a previous age where moustachioed imperialists divided the globe with rulers on a map. Did anyone stop to ask the important questions? What is Europe? What is a hemisphere? Why do we even need passports?
Not that the South African teams will be poring over such debates, nor will they pay any attention to the doubters and cynics. They’ll be desperate to prove they belong. They’re entering uncharted territory. What’s more, they know it.
The noise coming from the teams themselves has been muted. The Bulls’ coach, Jake White, has already equated the Champions Cup to Test rugby and has warned his countrymen not to be naive to the challenges they face.
White’s counterpart at the Stormers, John Dobson, said that he wanted his team to do themselves “justice” by giving an accurate account of themselves for this “special occasion”. The Sharks winger, Yaw Penxe, spoke of a “buzz” around Durban as they gear up for a clash against a Harlequins team skippered by a former Shark in Stephan Lewies.
Any prediction at this point is almost meaningless. The French clubs might continue their habit of fielding weakened teams for away trips and could further strip back their arsenal on the road when asked to make the long journey down to South Africa. This may prove helpful for the competition’s newbies and their push for a place in the knockout rounds.
Whether by luck or merit, all three all three heavy hitters will be aiming for the quarterfinals at least. If only the bookies gave them much hope of doing so.
According to one betting company, 13 other teams are ahead of them on the pecking order. Leinster, Toulouse, Saracens and the reigning champions, La Rochelle, lead the way ahead of a clutch of seasoned French, Irish and English teams. That may change after the first round and a few resounding wins, but this is a sign that success in the United Rugby Championship doesn’t necessarily equate to success in what is now unquestionably the toughest assignment in club rugby.
The Stormers win in the inaugural URC will help ease whatever nerves might exist. That unexpected triumph was supplemented by the Bulls’ semi-final victory over Leinster in Dublin, arguably the most impressive result by a South African club team in the professional era. Along with a Springboks laden Sharks team, the South Africans will walk lightly but carry a big stick.
The Lions and Cheetahs have been lumped together in the same group in the Challenge Cup and will themselves be targeting a place in the final eight. Anything beyond that would be considered a bonus.
The South Africans must now do something they’ve never done before and compete across two hostile fronts. Cardiff’s win over the Sharks proves that the URC can’t be treated lightly and now the old powers in Europe will want to put the South Africans in their place. They in turn will want to show that their place is right here in ‘Europe’, whatever that means.
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
28 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 🤐
19 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….
28 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….
19 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….
86 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 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
14 Go to comments