Marchant is tackling case for the defence
JUST being in the first team mix would have been enough for Joe Marchant at the start of the season but, with 22 appearances already to his name, the Harlequins starlet has more than exceeded that target.
The centre, still only 20, was given a taste for first team rugby towards the end of last season and quickly impressed with his impressive mix of pace, power and handling skills.
He played a key role in England U20s winning the Junior World Cup in Manchester last June and he took that form into the new season becoming an almost ever present feature in Quins’ midfield. He starts once again in the No.13 shirt in Exeter today.
He has missed only five of their 27 games so far and his performances have made such big waves in the Premiership that he has been touted as a potential tourist in Argentina with England this summer.
“I’m getting a lot of game time this season and I’m really enjoying it,” he told
The Rugby Paper. “All I wanted to do at the start of the season was to get into the mix with the first team but I started the first three games and it went from there.
“I dipped off a little bit after a month or so but I got back into things and I’ve been pretty happy since.
“I’m just trying to learn as much as I can game after game. Every time a challenge comes my way I try to rise to it and put my best foot forward.
“The defence has been the most challenging thing for me to get around. I maybe shouldn’t sell myself out like that but I’ve made a lot of mistakes.
“I’ve been doing a lot of work with Nick Easter to make sure I can make the right decisions in any given situation.
“There are a lot of guys coming down your channel at outside centre so it’s all about being patient and picking the right players to take on.
“There are a lot of things going through your mind but once you make your decision you just have to back yourself and go for it.
“I’d love to go to Argentina, obviously, but my only focus is to play well for Harlequins for now.”
Quins face a tough trip to Sandy Park today but they will travel to Devon high on confidence following their stunning Premiership comeback win in Gloucester last Saturday.
And with the AngloWelsh Cup final to be played at the Stoop, Marchant is adamant they will go into this semi-final focused on attack.
He added: “It should be a good game and the boys are looking forward to it. It’ll be a tough challenge but it’d be lovely to win and play the final at the Stoop. We’ll go out all guns blazing and see what happens.
“Our form away from home has been pretty good in recent weeks so we’re looking to keep it going until the end of the season.”