Home advantage means England’s Marler doesn’t feel like an underdog

EddieJonesmayhaveinstalled England as underdogs for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations title collision with Ireland, but JoeMarlerinsiststheycanonly be favourites when playing at Twickenham.

The rivals clash knowing that the losing team will be eliminated from the quest to replace Wales as northern hemisphere champions as part of a trio of contenders completed by Grand Slamchasing

France.

It is a well rehearsed routine for Jones to position the opposition as favourites and while on this occasion bookmakers agree, Marler offers a different view to his head coach.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt like an underdog at Twickenham. Maybe against New Zealand once. There haven’t been many times at Twickenham,” the Harlequins prop said.

“I’ve never thought ‘I feel like an underdog this week’. Instead, I look at it and think ‘I know how good Ireland are. I know how good their tightheads are. I know how good their pack is. I know how good their attacking system is’.

“We all look at that and we knowhowgoodtheyare,sowe have to be right on the money.

“We have to be sugar-hot in order to get the win – and it helpsthatweareathome,with the Twickenham crowd.”

While Marler and Jones may be in dispute over England’s status as underdogs, they are in agreement over Ellis Genge’s position as firstchoice loosehead.

Genge has usurped Marler from the number one jersey and with Mako Vunipola no longer in the frame, the Leicester front row will be given the fearsome task of going head to head with Tadhg Furlong at the scrum.

But Marler, who currently provides cover from the bench, has warned Furlong thathefacesa27-year-oldwho is now coming into his own.

“Ellis’ maturity has accelerated and the leader that he has become in the group, and the respect he’s got off the whole group, is huge,” Marler said.

“His knowledge is underrated. A lot of people see him as just this aggressive ballcarrier who is just in your face, but his knowledge of the game is second to none.

“He’s still learning, as in a lot of young boys are still learning, but he’s winning more of those battles than he was before, and he’s also addingthatabrasivecarryingthat hecandoweekin,weekoutin the Premiership.”