Retiring England and Harlequinz prop Joe Marler has never been one to shy away from sharing his opinions – especially when it comes to players or personalities he’s not particularly fond of.
Here’s the lowdown on the four rugby figures who’ve landed on Marler’s bad side.
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#1. Sir Clive Woodward
Marler’s feud with England’s 2003 World Cup-winning coach, Sir Clive Woodward, has been brewing for years. Things heated up when Woodward tore into Eddie Jones’ side during a webinar, particularly slamming Marler and fellow prop Dan Cole for their behaviour in a press conference ahead of England’s loss to South Africa in November.
Unimpressed, Marler fired back after reading Woodward’s comments on RugbyPass. Taking to Twitter, he directly called out the coach, tweeting: “Change the record Sir Clive – you should be grateful you can ‘milk the cow’ for another three years.”
#2. Israel Folau
Joe Marler has never shied away from taking a stand, and his public clashes with Israel Folau are a testament to that. Folau, whose homophobic views caused uproar in the rugby world, became a frequent target of Marler’s defiant humour.
In a series of tweets aimed at Folau, Marler attached pictures and GIFs of men kissing – a gesture that drew widespread praise from players and LGBTQ fans alike.
Marler later gave Folau an ironic nod by naming him in his dream team. On choosing the former Wallabies fullback, he quipped: “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.”
#3. Marland Yarde
Marler’s relationship with Marland Yarde turned sour when the winger made an unusual mid-season switch from Harlequins to Premiership rivals Sale Sharks in 2017.
Speaking about Yarde’s exit, Marler admitted: “I hadn’t spoken to the bloke in 18 months. I’d lost the plot with him a good while ago. Let him be, let him do his own thing, because I’d given up on it.”
He added: “He’s one of those to just leave, as he won’t change in my mind. Me and him just don’t get on.”
#4. Marcos Ayerza
One of Marler’s more heated rivalries unfolded in 2011, when Leicester Tigers prop Marcos Ayerza clashed with him during a fiery Premiership match. Both players saw red as referee Wayne Barnes stepped in after Ayerza headbutted Marler, who retaliated with a series of well-placed punches.
The incident remains one of the most explosive moments in Marler’s career, cementing Ayerza’s place on the England prop’s “not-so-favourite” list.
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