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'We were crap': England star looks back on 'journey' to World Cup bronze
There are “plenty of things to be hopeful for in the future” for England according to loosehead Joe Marler after they finished third at the World Cup on Friday with a 26-23 win over Argentina in the bronze final.
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The 33-year-old, who is reported to be retiring at the end of the season, was not selected for the match against the Pumas, but was on the field after the match to collect his bronze medal where briefly spoke to ITV Rugby.
The Harlequin looked back on the last five months with England and the journey they have taken to become a “new England”. His head coach Steve Borthwick has mentioned this World Cup that the England coaching team only came together in June, compared to other set-ups that have had four years together, and Marler alluded to that.
Looking back on that five month journey, which included only one win from four in their warm-ups and a first ever defeat to Fiji, Marler described the side as “crap”. But after only losing one match from seven at the World Cup – a narrow one point loss to then world champions South Africa – Marler feels the future is bright for England.
“I just want to say on behalf of the team, to all the fans that have supported us out here and back at home, it’s been phenomenal,” the 88-cap veteran said on the Stade de France pitch.
“It’s been a brilliant, brilliant journey to come five months ago where we were crap, to start building a new England. There’s plenty of things to be hopeful for in the future, so get behind the team moving forward.”
For one last time…
Ladies and gentleman, sound on please for @JoeMarler ! 🔈 pic.twitter.com/6RFP4x8QTl
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) October 27, 2023
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Borthwick echoed these sentiments after the match as well, as he too looked back on the journey his side have made. The head coach is equally as buoyant about what lies ahead for England despite a spate of players moving on after the World Cup.
“This coaching team only came together in June and to knit together a programme super fast – I couldn’t be more proud but I hope the players have enjoyed it,” he said.
“I’m delighted for the players, who have worked so hard. We won six games out of seven and lost one game by one point to the world champions, which shows the progress of the team.
“I always believed we would be right [for the tournament]. Some challenging decisions were made – but we were clear that the World Cup isn’t played in August.
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“The age profile of the squad – there are always players who decide their time has come to an end at the World Cup – is strong. I think there’s excitement about those players. We know there are areas we are thinner than others and I need to work to find some depth in those positions.
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*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
226 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
226 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
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