From Exiles junkyard to Test starter
RENAISSANCE man Darryl Marfo is targeting a long and fruitful Test career with Scotland after climbing off rugby’s scrapheap to earn a surprise call-up.
Marfo feared for his career when former club London Welsh went bust last January. However, Bath offered him a lifeline and, after joining Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh in June, the ex-Harlequins prop impressed sufficiently to start yesterday’s Test against Samoa. Marfo, 27, told The Rugby
Paper: “It was a very emotional time at London Welsh. To get the rug pulled from under your feet and see people losing jobs was really sad.
“I was fortunate that due to injuries at Bath they needed a loosehead, but in the weeks leading up to liquidation you wondered what was going to happen.
“You try to lay out plans but you’re in a bit of a precarious position in this job. As it happens, injuries to Rory Sutherland and Al Dickinson then meant Edinburgh needed someone to fill the void and I’ve taken my opportunities.
“People up here wouldn’t have had a clue who I was, so it’s been about working hard and applying myself to show my abilities. It’s a massive opportunity with Scotland now and I’m determined to grab it and ensure this isn’t a one-off.”
Marfo, who qualifies for Scotland through his Ayrborn mother, credits former London Welsh head coach James Buckland and Cockerill for his turnaround.
He explained: “I suffered earlier in my career with bad injuries and didn’t get the opportunities I’d have liked at Quins behind Joe Marler and Mark Lambert, so I left for London Welsh in 2015 and I owe James Buckland and Richard Cockerill so much.
“James laid the foundations for my overall game and made me realise there was more to loosehead than just getting through scrums and carrying.
“He developed my technical and game understanding, both in attack and defence, and was really innovative in how he went about things during the difficult times at Welsh. He was an incredible coach and it’s scandalous to think he still can’t find a job.
“Richard’s been good too and he’s helped me develop my mental toughness.”
Marfo is quick to dismiss doubts over his Scottish credentials, with the Londoner adding: “My mum was born and raised in Ayr and moved to London at 18 or 19. I have family here and I’ve always had a close affiliation with Scotland.
“I’ve worked hard to show the best of myself in the PRO 14 and I want to can take that form on to the international stage and do well at that level.”