Marler wants to improve discipline to avoid missing games for England

England international Joe Marler admitted that he needs to improve his discipline in order to avoid missing games for his club and country.

Marler has already faced a couple of suspensions since October - both while playing for his club Harlequins. In October, the 27-year-old was charged for striking with the elbow following a tackle on Wasps' Will Rowlands during the European Champions Cup encounter that forced him to miss the first two games of autumn internationals for England last year.

In January, Marler was slammed with a six-week ban for striking TJ Ioane with the shoulder during the Aviva Premiership face-off against Sale Sharks that kept him out of the opening two rounds of England's Six Nations title defence.

Eddie Jones has already warned Marler over his conduct, viewing the prop as an important member of the squad while outlining the cost of his absence, especially amid an injury crisis at loosehead.

“It sticks with me that I really need to knuckle down now because I am missing out on these things that I really want to be a part of," said Marler.

“It was fair – I’ve been cited twice in the last six months and spent nine weeks on the sidelines. There was no real argument from me.”

Recalling England's game against Wales, Marler said he had to banish family from living room to watch the closing stage of the game which Jones' men went on to win 12-6.

“I was trying to watch the Wales game, but I couldn’t actually watch it,” said Marler, who is set to feature for the upcoming Six Nations clash against Scotland.

“I got in the car just before kick-off and listened to bits on the radio. The radio in my truck is not that good so it was coming in and out. I got home for the last five minutes.

“England v Wales is my favourite fixture, the game I love playing in and being involved in most. I was gutted not being a part of it.

“Watching the last five minutes, kicking the kids and the wife out of the lounge, I was like ‘You need to leave – I need to watch the telly’. I had to turn ‘In The Night Garden’ off."

Marler was present in England's training camp in Surrey training base leading to England’s victories over Italy and Wales with James Haskell, the player he feuded with on club duty when Harlequins faced Wasps in September.

In a slightly comical spat, Marler pulled off Haskell’s scrum cap and after being thrown to the floor as a result, he squirted water into the back row’s face as he walked away.

A further tangle ensued and Haskell, who has also missed the start of the Six Nations because of suspension, was sin-binned.

“It’s awful being in camp but not playing because there is no being managed in order to peak for Saturday,” Marler said.

“Me and Haskell have been up together at the crack of dawn – rooming with Haskell is an experience in itself – and then been flogged. Rightly so because we deserved a little bit as a punishment.

“Me and Haskell get on very well and we did at the time of that water fight. I couldn’t stop laughing, it was brilliant!”

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