1
'No ifs or buts, it's as clear as a day': Eddie Jones has given his take on Joe Marler's England future
Eddie Jones insists Joe Marler will still be considered for future England selection after withdrawing from the Guinness Six Nations squad to be with his family during the coronavirus pandemic. Marler was named in the 28-strong England group that has gathered at St George’s Park but pulled out earlier this week with the defending champions set to spend two months in a bubble environment, leaving camp only during the fallow weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Harlequins prop chose not to tour Australia in 2016 following a turbulent season and two years later he announced his international retirement, only to reverse the decision ahead of the 2019 World Cup.
“Joe has made a decision that we 100 per cent support,” Jones said at the virtual Six Nations launch. “When he decides to make himself available again, we will have a look at selection. And that’s how we look at it – 100 per cent. No ifs or buts, it’s as clear as a day.
“There will be some time in the future when he’s ready to come back and will get selected. We’ll take that when it comes. Joe has been an outstanding player during my time with England, and I’m sure he was outstanding before that.
“He is tough, abrasive, a good defender, a great guy off the field. He’s a bit nutty, but we like that, it’s good to have characters like that in the squad.”
On-fire Odogwu has quipped he got his timing wrong in one crucial area this month #GuinnessSixNations #GallagherPrem @TheRugbyPodhttps://t.co/kSzlKeNaGT
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 27, 2021
Marler is one of three senior forwards to drop out of the squad, joining Joe Launchbury and Sam Underhill on the unavailable list. Launchbury has a stress fracture of his tibia and Underhill is struggling with a hip issue, but both should recover before the end of Six Nations, raising the prospect of their return in the later rounds.
It is a savage blow for England as Launchbury has been playing some of the finest rugby of his career, regaining his starting place alongside Maro Itoje last autumn, while Underhill is a destructive force at openside.
ADVERTISEMENT
Marler’s absence stretches resources at prop with Mako Vunipola sidelined by an achilles problem and Kyle Sinckler banned for the opener against Scotland at Twickenham on February 6 for swearing at a referee. Jones, however, insists England will adapt to the losses.
“We’ve got a number of wonderful players out – Joe Marler, Joe Launchbury and Underhill, but that just creates opportunities for other players to come in and adds to the team,” Jones said. “It’s a great opportunity for us. As weird as it seems for a head coach to say, it excites me.
“We’re going to have to work a little bit harder, we’re going to have to find solutions with the new guys coming in and we’ll have to work harder to get those connections right. We’ve got someone like Ellis Genge now and he’s now the elder statesmen in the squad in terms of props.
“Four years ago he was a young kid on the block, so that shows how the team has evolved. This is a great chance for us to evolve and adapt so we’re excited. Some of the younger guys who have had lesser leadership roles will have to step up to the mark. It’s a great chance for us to keep moving forward as a team.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Jones has been working while in self-isolation after his assistant Matt Proudfoot tested positive for coronavirus. “I’m in my last day of isolation, day nine and a half! I break out of prison at 1pm Thursday and will be racing up the road to St George’s to join the squad about 4pm,” Jones said.
"He thought the tackle potentially could have broken his leg… his whole career flashed in front of him"
"The Exeter players were laughing at him, saying things to the effect of stop being a pussy"#GallagherPrem #GuinnessSixNations https://t.co/GivqijOK8V
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 20, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
22 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
22 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen 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.
22 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.
9 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.
22 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 🤐
22 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….
22 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….
90 Go to comments