Retiring Joe Marler delivers 'five word verdict' on his England replacement
11/03/2024 04:29 PM
As England gears up for their clash against Australia, all eyes are on Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who steps in to fill the void left by the retiring Joe Marler.
RUCK's Autumn Nations Series coverage is proudly powered by the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, dedicated to creating a world free of MND. Join the the fight against MND here.
Known for his keen eye for talent, Marler had a simple yet impactful endorsement for the young prop, stating he's excited about the future of England's front row.
In addition to Opoku-Fordjour, Charlie Ewels has also been called up to the 36-player squad, stepping in for fellow Bath forward Ted Hill. With both players ready to make their mark, the stakes are high as England looks to bounce back after their defeat to New Zealand.
"I have got a big thing about young, up-and-coming front-rowers," said Marler, reflecting on his confidence in Opoku-Fordjour. "This guy, No. 18 (Opoku-Fordjour), I like the look of."
With such a strong endorsement from Marler, fans will be eager to see how Opoku-Fordjour performs on the international stage!
England’s 36-player squad:
Forwards
Fin Baxter (Harlequins)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Nick Isiekwe (Saracens)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)
Backs
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
Alex Lozowski (Saracens)
Luke Northmore (Harlequins)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton Saints)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)
"Brutally targeted" – Five players who flopped in the opening round of the Autumn Nations Series
Here's a look at five players who'll want to leave their performances behind after the All Blacks defeated England and Scotland routed Fiji in the Autumn Nations Series opener.
Ellis Genge (England)
Guardian 5/10: “Back from calf injury and gassed by Tele'a for first try. Embraced the blitz defence but beaten by Jordan too easily as well.”
Telegraph 5/10: “Brutally targeted by the All Blacks for their opening tries by Tele'a and Jordan. Rule of thumb: don't leave your prop exposed against All Black outside backs.”
Ben Spencer (England)
Guardian 5/10: “First start at 32 and looked nervous, caught out at one ruck on his own 22 and charged down. Settled thereafter but not the statement showing he'd have liked.”
CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO
The post Retiring Joe Marler delivers ‘five word verdict’ on his England replacement appeared first on Ruck.
