Marler on AWJ grab: I was in the wrong

ENGLAND prop Joe Marler has opened up for the first time about his grabbing of Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones’ genitals during their Six Nations clash at Twickenham, admitting: “I was having a laugh, but it was wrong”.

Marler was slapped with a 10-week ban over the incident, which dominated the aftermath of England’s 33-30 victory over the 2019 Grand Slam champions back in March.

But because of the coronavirus pandemic, Marler will be able to resume his career with Harlequins when the Gallagher Premiership resumes later this summer, without actually missing a single game.

Speaking on the Virtual Rugby Show in support of Lawrence Dallaglio’s RugbyWorks foundation, the 71-times capped loosehead said he hadn’t spoken to Jones about it since right after the incident, but admitted he was wrong.

“We spoke when the huge storm was going off, then,” Marler said.

“I understood his position as a 140-odd capped international with some heavy gravitas in the game, the position he holds and the pressure he can sometimes be put under. What I did was inappropriate and wrong on that stage.

“The people that came out and compared it to sexual assault in the workplace completely blew my mind, but I did stop for a second and take on their opinions and how they were made to feel about it all.”

He appeared before a rugby disciplinary panel days after the incident, charged with acting against the spirit of good sportsmanship by “grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals” of an opponent.

While Marler accepted he had committed an act of foul play, he did not accept he had grabbed, twisted or squeezed the Wales captain’s genitals.

Furthermore, he did not accept the act warranted a red card, but the disciplinary panel disagreed so the citing complaint was upheld.