England international Dan Cole has admitted he was surprised by the timing of Joe Marler’s immediate retirement from international rugby.
Mahler, who sparked controversy with disparaging comments about the haka before Saturday’s 24-22 loss to New Zealand, spoke publicly about his 95-cap Test career on Sunday morning.
The 34-year-old was selected for the Autumn Nations Series by coach Steve Borthwick but left the club last Monday citing personal reasons.
His last away game for England came in July when he suffered a broken foot during the opening Test of the summer tour, a 2-0 loss to the All Blacks.
it was coming
Cole, who shares a room on national team duty with long-time team-mate Mahler, said: “Did you think he was going to go last Sunday? no.
“But eventually, as we both got older, we knew it would happen one day.
“I thought he wanted to get to 100 caps, but unfortunately he hurt his foot in the New Zealand Test.
“You have the inclination, but you can’t control what he thinks or does.
“The good news is that he went out on his own terms and is alive and well.
“He’s still my friend, but he’s not here. “The most important part of rugby is people coming and going.”
Marler, who will continue to play for Harlequins until the end of the season, is no stranger to controversy, with a social media post last week calling for the “stupid” Haka to be “banned”.
peculiar
The flashy prop later apologized and said he was only trying to “generate interest in the big game of rugby” as well as contesting restrictions on facing Maori war dances.
He has spoken openly about his mental health issues.
Cole, who is preparing for England’s remaining games against Australia, South Africa and Japan in November, continued: “Obviously for selfish reasons I miss him because he is a friend. But at the same time, the team continues to move forward.
“And that’s the thing about rugby. It’s probably one of the greatest things about rugby: no matter how much adversity you face, you can stay disciplined and move forward.”
England Under-20 international Asher Opoku-Fordjour was called in by Borthwick for loose cover of Marler.
Cole urged the uncapped 20-year-old to focus on bringing his own difference rather than trying to be a direct replacement.
“He’s obviously performed fantastically well in the Premiership for Sale,” said Cole, 37.
“The team improves, the team moves forward, and other people need to improve as well.
“But it’s not like replacing the same player and he’s not replacing Mahler.
“It’s about expressing your individuality. It’s not about trying to be someone else.
“You were chosen because you bring a difference that sets you apart rather than trying to be someone you are not.”
Read more: Five key takeaways from Autumn Internationals
