LIONS WILL NEED HELP TO SURVIVE THE BUBBLE

Marler calls on Gat to take a mental health expert to South Africa

JOE MARLER says the Lions should take a trained mental health expert on tour to South Africa to help players deal with up to 10 weeks in a bubble.

The England prop (above) admits he is unsure he would have been able to cope with the monastic existence awaiting the tourists.

And he says taking an extra member of staff “qualified in the clinical side of mental health” would be a “very good” idea.

Marler said: “Lions tours are tough enough as they are, being away from your families, but this one is particularly hard. If they’re not going to take someone qualified, they definitely need to have a conversation as a whole touring party at the start.”

Lions boss Warren Gatland has acknowledged that keeping the players happy off the field is key to success on it.

He could do worse than compare notes with Marler, who has withdrawn from two England campaigns for personal reasons and this week fronts a documentary examining mental health, especially amongst young men.

“By its nature of masochism, aggression, alpha male, the environment around a rugby team makes discussing individual problems difficult,” said the Harlequin. “The

whole point is to invade the opposition’s space in any way you can. And usually that involves physicality and bullying them.

“Being involved in an environment full of alpha males, on and off the field, you think twice about discussing your feelings or problems. I suspect there are a lot of boys that have been suffering and not wanting to talk about it.”

His documentary Big Boys Don’t Cry travels around the UK gaining insights into how

others manage their mental wellbeing. His belief that the situation is improving was supported by Kyle Sinckler’s emotional reaction (left) to his shock Lions omission – and the positive reaction to it.

“It has been so tough, I have never experienced something like this in my career,” said Sinckler, choking up after his man of the match display in Bristol’s win at Bath.

His BT Sport interview had more than a million views in 24 hours, drawing sympathy and praise in equal measure.

Watch Joe Marler in Big Boys Don’t Cry on Sky Sports Arena and NOW at 4pm on Wednesday and throughout the week on multiple Sky Sports channels