Joe Marler named the 'worst' England player he ever played with
Rugby NewsTuesday, 03 March 2026 at 18:34
Love him or loathe him, Joe Marler never does things quietly.
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Across a career packed with trophies, bans, and viral moments, the outspoken loosehead has managed to ruffle more than a few feathers — teammates, opponents and even a certain World Cup-winning coach.
Here are five names who’ve clashed with rugby’s most unfiltered prop…
#1. Gavin Henson
These two go way back.
In 2016, Henson was ruled out for weeks after Marler clattered the Welshman off the ball in a moment that sparked plenty of debate. It came during a turbulent period for Marler, who had stepped away from rugby in the summer of 2016 — missing England’s historic 3-0 whitewash of the Wallabies in Australia.
But the history doesn’t stop there.
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In his book, Marler lifted the lid on Henson’s sky-high ego back in 2005. When Wales captain Gareth Thomas told Henson to hurry up with his hair before running out to face England, the playmaker reportedly fired back:
“Alf, your mother and father have come to watch you play today, but there are 72,000 out there who have come to watch me.”
Classic Henson. Classic needle.
#2. Manu Tuilagi
You don’t often see England teammates squaring up — but that’s exactly what viewers thought they witnessed in 2023.
During a quarter-final clash involving Fiji, cameras caught what looked like a chest-to-chest confrontation between Tuilagi and Marler, right in front of referee Mathieu Reynal.
Tuilagi appeared to nudge Marler. Marler responded by forcefully shoving the centre away.
A week later? More tension.
In the semi-final, Marler was seen remonstrating with Tuilagi after an over-the-top celebration resulted in a reversed England penalty. Social media lit up:
“Some tension it seems…”
“Marler is going to deck Tuilagi…”
“Beef between Marler and Tuilagi?”
When two big personalities collide, sparks are inevitable.
#3. Sir Clive Woodward
Not even a World Cup-winning coach is safe.
Woodward tore into England — and specifically Marler and Dan Cole — over their behaviour in a press conference before a November defeat to South Africa.
It wasn’t the first time the 2003 mastermind had publicly criticised the prop.
Marler’s response? Very Marler.
He took to Twitter and aimed directly at Woodward:
“Change the record Sir Clive – you should be grateful you can ‘milk the cow’ for another 3 years.”
No filter. No fear.
#4. Israel Folau
Marler has never shied away from calling out Folau.
After the former Wallabies star was sacked over homophobic comments, Marler repeatedly mocked him on social media — posting GIFs and images of men kissing in a pointed display of defiance.
It was humour with a message, and many players and LGBTQ+ fans applauded him for it.
In true tongue-in-cheek fashion, Marler later even named Folau in his “dream team” — joking he’d take him on a night out in Brighton to “The Blue Oyster.”
Subtle? Not remotely.
#5. Marland Yarde
This one hit closer to home.
When England teammate Yarde left Harlequins mid-season in 2017 to join Sale Sharks, Marler didn’t hide his feelings.
Brutally honest. No dressing it up.
The Verdict
From high-profile Welsh playmakers to England teammates, Wallabies stars and even a knight of the realm, Joe Marler has never been afraid to say exactly what he thinks.
And whether it’s mind games, moral stands, or just pure mischief — you can bet it won’t be the last fallout in a career that’s been anything but boring.
Quiz: Can you all of the Guinness Six Nations winning captains?
In the storied history of Rugby's Greatest Championship, exceptional leaders have emerged—warriors of various forms, be they agile half-backs, towering second rows, or fearless flankers.
Our latest quiz invites you to identify those who have captained their nations to Guinness Six Nations glory. It's worth noting that in certain instances, there may be multiple captains from the same year due to factors such as injuries and rotation.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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