England prop Marler rules himself out of Australia tour

LONDON (Reuters) - Harlequins' prop Joe Marler has ruled himself out of England's test against Wales this month and the tour of Australia which follows.

England prop Marler rules himself out of Australia tourEngland prop Marler rules himself out of Australia tour

(Reuters)





Marler said he needs to rest following a gruelling season which ended with bans following two high-profile transgressions.

"Whenever you play for England you have to be 100 per cent and unfortunately I'm not in that place at the moment," the 25-year-old said in a statement on the RFU website.

"It's not a decision I've come to lightly, but I feel I would be letting my team mates and my country down if I were to tour.

"I think a short rest will really help me recharge my batteries so I can start next season with the energy and focus that’s needed to perform at the highest level."

England coach Eddie Jones Marler would be a big loss.

"We fully support Joe's difficult decision and admire his honesty," the Australian said.

Marler recently revealed he was seeing a sports psychologist to address his "lack of professional control" following bans for calling Wales forward Samson Lee "gypsy boy" during a Six Nations game and kicking an opponent in the head in a Challenge Cup match.

England play Wales at Twickenham on May 29. The test series against Australia starts in Brisbane on June 11.













(Reporting by Neil Robinson, editing by Ed Osmond)


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