"Interesting" - Joe Marler open to being scrum referee under one condition

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by Rugby Rucker

Sunday, 08 May 2022 at 08:10

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byRugby Rucker

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England prop Joe Marler has backed a proposal for set-piece experts from South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus.

'It can be such a minefield for the referees these days,' said Marler, speaking on his own podcast.

'It would be so good. If you were a scrum ref, we could make it proper WWE style with entrance music. I like that he's coming up with different ideas.'

Erasmus said in his column for the Mail Online last week: 'For international rugby, why not form a group of world-class scrummaging experts — former players or coaches — to serve as specialist scrummaging referees?

"These guys could roam along the touchline, as close as possible to the action and the moment a scrum is called they sprint on to officiate it. Get them in the gym so they are on and off the pitch quickly.

Rassie Erasmus

@RassieRugby

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12:52 AM · May 1, 2022

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"It would be their only job, so they would have no impact on the rest of the game.

"There are about 20 scrums a match so you could even put a microphone on them and link them up to the TV commentary team so the viewers understand what’s going on.

"According to the law book, a team must be ready to form a scrum within 30 seconds of the referee’s mark. A scrum referee could police this. If you go back to the Nineties, a scrum would be formed 20 seconds from the knock on. It was so much quicker. Why are they becoming a nightmare?"

Joe Marler ranks rugby’s three biggest shhouses**

When asked to name the three biggest shithouses he'd come across in his career in a recent Q&A, the results were unsurprising if we're being honest.

#1. Dan Biggar

Marler became close friend with Biggar during the 2017 Lions tour, and famously gave the Welshman a b**lock naked cuddle following a World Cup warm-up game between England and Wales.

However, Biggar is the epitome of players you hate until they are on your team. The way the fly-half continues to moan to referees vociferously has seemingly only got worse throughout his career.

It got so bad that popular online personality and diehard Scotland fan Glove39 made a video called ‘birdman’ mocking the way in which he always raises his arms in frustration to officials. It's no shock Marler namechecked him!

#2. Peter O'Mahony

Another 2017 Lions teammate who is known for getting stuck into the opposition in anyway possible.

A flanker that plays on the edge and never fails to get under the skin of opposition fans. His late hit on Stuart Hogg and foul-mouthed war of words with the Kyle Sinckler during the 2019 Six Nations did him no favours.

We agree with Joe that his definitely the sort of player you love to have, but also love to hate.

#3. Mike Brown

Taught Marler an awful lot about being a s**thouse. In his own words, the fullback is a 'marmite player' with fans either loving or hating him. A skinhead who enjoys confrontation is not the traditional mould for an England No.15. A fantastic player.