Joe Marler thinks rugby union allows various unique personalities to succeed, rejecting Danny Cipriani’s viewpoint in his book.
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In exclusive excerpts from Cipriani’s upcoming autobiography, “Who am I?,” the former Red Rose fly-half articulates his belief that trailblazing mavericks face hurdles in gaining acceptance within the sport’s ranks.
Marler, in stark contrast to his ex-teammate’s perspective, stands as a testament to this diversity, having carved out a storied career characterised by his whimsicality and unapologetic individuality.
“That is his experience. That is his story. That is not my story,” he told reporters.
“Is Cips’ book fiction or non fiction? Do we know what section of the bookshop it will be in? I tried asking him the other night but he’s not answering.
“That is Danny’s view on it and I can’t deny his view on it. But that is not how I see it. That is his experience and he is more than entitled to share that.
“Martin Johnson was in charge for my first camp 13 years ago. I had a mohawk – think it might have been red or stars and a rat’s tail at the back. I looked horrific, actually.
“I remember Martin Johnson coming down the steps and he went: ‘Are you ready for training?’ I said ‘yeah, definitely’.
“He said ‘are you going to have a haircut before you get to training?’ I was like ‘Umm’. Then he just walked off.”
He added: “Now some people might interpret that as him being serious and it might be a case that actually you don’t fit the bill, you need to go and shave your hair off. But I took it as ‘he’s just joking’.
“Beef with Tuilagi” – Five rugby players Joe Marler really doesn’t like
England’s prop, Joe Marler, is always unafraid to express his opinions, especially when it involves someone he isn’t particularly fond of.
#1. Manu Tuilagi
During the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final match against Fiji, a particular moment left some viewers puzzled while watching the broadcast. It involved an interaction between Manu Tuilagi and Joe Marler.
Upon initial observation, it appeared as if Tuilagi and Marler were engaging in a confrontational exchange. Tuilagi seemingly pushed Marler with his chest, right in the presence of referee Mathieu Reynal. In response, Marler decisively pushed Tuilagi, removing him from the camera frame entirely.
In the subsequent semi-final, the two players had another heated encounter. This time, Marler confronted Manu Tuilagi, expressing his displeasure after Tuilagi’s excessive celebration led to the reversal of a penalty awarded to England.
One fan wrote: “Some tension it seems, between joe marler and manu tuilagi the past few weeks, first joe shoved manu last week, now he’s having to tell manu to pack it in… interesting.”
Another said: “Marler is going to deck Tuilagi in a minute, and it will be well deserved- losing his head less than 20 minutes in is poor.”
A third said: “Beef between Marler and Tuilagi?”