England prop Joe Marler and 2003 World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward went head-to-head again earlier this year.
After Woodward took some personal credit for England’s Six Nations victory over Ireland, Harlequins prop Marler responded with a pretty blunt label: “dinosaur.”
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A Last-Minute Thriller at Twickenham
England’s 23-22 win during the 2024 Six Nations was unforgettable – ending Ireland’s Grand Slam dreams in front of a packed Twickenham. Marcus Smith’s dramatic drop-goal sealed the deal in the dying seconds, but apparently, Woodward thought his pre-match column was the game-changer.
Woodward’s Bold Claim
In his column for the Mail Online, Woodward wrote, “I honestly believe that Borthwick’s players had read my pre-match column because they were so quickly out of the blocks.” He suggested that his advice on playing with “breakneck speed” had inspired England’s approach.
Marler’s Response? Emojis Say It All
Taking to X, Marler quote-tweeted Woodward’s words with a dinosaur and sleeping face emoji, making his stance pretty clear.
Woodward’s Critics Get Louder
While Woodward led England to glory in 2003, his comments haven’t exactly impressed the current squad. With a history of back-and-forth digs, Marler’s latest reaction is a reminder that not everyone’s buying Woodward’s influence on today’s England team.
Four more rugby stars Joe Marler hates…
#2. Israel Folau
Over 1,000 days since Folau last played a professional match of rugby union, Marler’s old Twitter sparring partner made his return to the sport over the weekend.
The loose-head prop takes any chance he can to call out the former Wallabies fullback, who could soon represent Tonga, for his homophobic views.
In a series of tweets sent directly to Folau, Marler attached pictures and GIFs of men kissing, in a display of defiant humour which was praised by fellow players and LGBTQ fans alike.
Marler later named Folau in his dream team in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.
On selecting Folau as his fullback, Marler commented, “On the night out, after we had played our match on the Saturday, I’d take him out in Brighton to The Blue Oyster… a couple of clubs.”
