1 June 2011
Joe Marler. Harlequins regular and now pretty much an England Saxons regular, he has improved so much this season but knows his chances of England selection for the World Cup are bleak. Famous for his wild and wacky trims, he also sustained a injury to his neck on England duty against the Barbarians which is another reason why his world cup hopes could be in jeopardy.
Marler was stretchered off on Sunday.
Marler is definitely a possibility for selection but if he went to New Zealnd he may be a benchwarmer instead of a player out on the field. He also featured in the Quins' side that made an unbelievable comeback against French giants Stade Francais in the Amlin Cup final a couple of weeks back.
The 20 year old knows that his Saxons and England elite performances have given him some great experience and in most of these internationals he has been under the watchful eye of Martin Johnson, England head coach. He also made a statement in an interview about what he really thought about his selection hopes -
"... I believe I'm nowhere near the first team England squad."
He says he thinks Saxons would be better for him, for now, so he can keep learning and developing his rugby and unique style of play and then push for an England elite spot.
