Joe Marler On The Punishment He & Haskell Received From Eddie Jones Over Bans

Flogged.

Eddie Jones made the unusual decision of calling up both Joe Marler and James Haskell to his England training camps for the last few weeks, despite both players being unavailable for Six Nations selection through suspension.

But it appears Jones knew exactly what he was up to when drafting in the two veterans. The England head coach made the pair room together, and has had them both up at the crack of dawn every morning for intense sessions.

Because neither of them are were available for matchday squads, it has literally been no holds barred, with no management needed ahead of game days.

“It is awful because there is no being managed in order to peak for Saturday,” Marler told The Guardian

“We have been up at the crack of dawn and just flogged. Rightly so, a little bit as a punishment.”

In terms of his suspension, Marler has admitted missing out this year has really hurt him. The loosehead is ready to knuckle down and get himself back into the fold. Watching the Wales game was a particularly hard watch for the Harlequins man.

“I got home for the last five minutes,” Marler said.

“It is my favourite fixture – England v Wales, the game I love playing in and I was gutted not being part of it. Watching the last five minutes, kicking the kids and the wife out of the lounge, I was like: ‘You need to leave, I need to watch the telly.’ That sticks with me. I really need to knuckle down now because I’m missing out on things I really want to be a part of.”

With Alec Hepburn released back to Exeter this week, Marler seems certain to make his comeback against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday week.

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