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The massive compliment Joe Marler paid to a teenage Sale tighthead
By Liam Heagney
Harlequins loosehead Joe Marler gave a wonderful compliment to a teenage opposition prop when conducting a flash TV interview near the end of Friday night’s Gallagher Premiership win over Sale.
The London club were fully deserving of their 36-3 victory over the league leaders and with minutes remaining in the match, the England prop had a few brief words with TNT Sport, who were broadcasting the game live.
Marler played an hour of the match before giving way to Fin Baxter, but the 10 minutes he had on the pitch against Asher Opoku-Fordjour, a 50th-minute Sale replacement at tighthead for Nick Schonert, made an impression.
The 19-year-old made his first-team league debut a fortnight previously when coming off the bench in the Sharks’ home win over Newcastle.
However, how he helped Sale to dominate in the scrum against Harlequins despite his team losing out in all other areas of the game, caught the attention of Marler. “Do you not want any analysis? So there is a young tighthead that has come off the bench for Sale.
“He replaced James Harper in the warm-up, something like that… I have got a big thing about young, up-and-coming front-rowers. Fin Baxter for us… but this guy, No18, I like the look of.”
It’s not the first time Opoku-Fordjour has stood out as he was part of the England U20s team that reached the semi-finals of the World Junior Championship in South Africa last July, a tournament where the try he scored in the pool opener versus Ireland highlighted his power and athleticism in the carry.
About Harlequins’ success against Sale following two successive defeats in the league, Marler added: “Buzzing. We were really disappointed with us pretty much not turning up against Saracens the last time we were here under the lights.
"We were a little more ourselves at Saints but still not winning… This week we really stepped up, gave the fans something to shout about again and we’re pleased.”
- Click here for all the RugbyPass stats from the Harlequins versus Sale Premiership match
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Latest Comments
Agreed. As a Saffa I have much respect for the ABs. I also have to say given any option I would ONLY prefer to lose to ABs. To lose to England is probably the most embarrassing think to happen to either of us.
There was a time when both of us lost to England and we both hated it. Thankfully those days are behind us. Kudos to you guys, kudos to ABs. But dear old BS seems to hate us Boks. No idea why.
Go to commentsI got the sense that holding him to it was kickback from SB and the rfu smarting at being jilted quite so soon, so unexpectedly and so publicly.
Seem to remember that they spoke to Gustard before appointing Joe and you really have to think he would have come in at a higher level?
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