Joe Marler gives hilarious reason for missing Harlequins’ pre-season training

“I don’t know a single player in any sport that would be worried about missing pre-season,” Marler said on Breakfast.

“This ain’t a protest, it’s just that I have forgot the dates,” he joked. “No, that’s not fair, I’ve actually taken a delayed paternity leave.

“So my missus had a kid in…when was it? Six, seven weeks ago and it was around the Premiership semi-final time.

“And I said to the boss, ‘I’m going to have to take paternity, mate. I’ve looked in the contract, I’ve never had paternity before and apparently you can get away with it.’

“He said, ‘That’s alright, when are you going to take it?’ And I said, ‘Well, as soon as the baby comes – that’s kind of what it is for.’

“And he said, ‘But that’s the semi-final and potential final?’ I said. ‘Yeah sorry mate, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.’

“So I said I would take it delayed, so this is just one of the delayed points.”

The hooker, 36, made his international debut in 2005 and his tally of 124 caps is the third highest for Ireland. Since succeeding Paul O'Connell as captain in 2013, Best led Ireland to three Six Nations titles, including the Grand Slam in 2018.

The Ospreys second row has grown into an inspirational and talismanic figure and would be a candidate for most people’s world team right now.

Two-time Rugby World Cup winner Kaino, 38, retired last month after helping Toulouse to a record-extending 21st league title, as well as a European and domestic double.

The Irish second row was certainly blessed with special rugby powers having been one of the world’s leading tight forwards for more than a decade. A three-times Lions who captained the tour of South Africa in 2009.

Having appeared over 40 times for New Zealand, Hayman is regarded as the finest tighthead prop to have ever played the game. Technically, Hayman is the hardest man to try and destabilise in the scrum. This showed in Toulon’s Heineken cup-winning campaigns in 2013 & 2014 where Hayman was dominant in virtually every engagement