Former England captain Chris Robshaw has discussed the controversial incident that saw his Harlequins teammate Joe Marler grab Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones by the genitals over the weekend.
The clip immediately went viral on social media. Some found it hilarious, including Marler’s former England teammate James Haskell who labelled the prop “a genius” for his hijinks.
Others were shocked by what they considered assault on the field.
I love @JoeMarler pic.twitter.com/ZzyrmdbpJA
— David Arrieta (@arrietadavid1) March 7, 2020
Robshaw, who will leave Harlequins in the summer, went onto TalkSport this morning to talk about the incident.
“I think Joe has gone in to try and defuse the situation but in quite a strange way,” said Robshaw.
“I haven’t had a chance to speak with him yet, so I should know more when I see him later this week,”
He added: “It’s a tough one but I hope he doesn’t get a ban.
“I think it’s down to Alun Wyn Jones and how he viewed the situation. It’s important to get the players point of view in this situation.
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“Lots of people have compared this to the Vinnie Jones and Paul Gascoigne one in the 80’s but I think there was a lot more violence and intent in that one.”
Robshaw also spoke about England head coach Eddie Jones’ future with the Aussie out of contract in 2021.
“You have to look at who’s available. Is there anybody better out there? I don’t think so.”
Jones is set for crunch talks to discuss his future with Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney in the coming weeks.