18 September 2023 , 11:26
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Joe Marler has admitted he took inspiration from Brighton's "demolition job" over Manchester United after he grabbed a headed assist in England's Rugby World Cup success against Japan.
The Seagulls ran out 3-1 winners at Old Trafford thanks to goals from Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro. It was a victory that moved Brighton back into the top four with their fourth win from five matches.
Meanwhile, a day later, Marler helped England to a 34-12 bonus point victory over Japan as Steve Borthwick's side continued their 100 per cent start to their World Cup campaign. Marler ended up claiming an assist for Courtney Lawes' try as he headed the ball on for the Northampton lock to touch it over the line.
Speaking after his side's win, Marler told Sky Sports: "I was practicing with Coley (Dan Cole) and Jamie George back at the hotel, we were doing some of that (heading) to get us fired up. I take huge inspiration from Roberto De Zerbi and his mighty Seagulls of doing a demolition job on [Manchester] United on Saturday. I'm taking huge inspiration from them and finding a way to help the boys score."
On Monday morning, Marler also reflected on the game and tweeted on his X account: "Proper test match last night and we are happy to be 2/2. Thank you to the @englandrugby fans back home as well as the ones that travelled and made it another amazing atmosphere in the stadium."
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In response to that post, Brighton replied: "Great win last night, good luck for the rest of tournament! Give us a call when it's finished, we'll need you for set pieces," followed by the wink-face and laughing emoji.
Joe Marler in action during England's win over Japan (Getty Images)England coach Borthwick was pleased with his team's performance. "I think ultimately, players find a way and that's the important thing," he said. "In these conditions, it was challenging. Japan kicked the ball 37 times today. I'm not sure when you've seen a Japan team kick 37 times.
"We knew the fourth quarter was going to be the important one. We felt this game could be tight and we felt the fourth quarter was where we could accelerate."
He added: "We're seeing strides in some of the fundamental aspects of the game, and growth now in our attack. The attack always takes longest to come because it takes cohesion. Some teams have had four or even eight years together. We’ve had three months with our coaching team in place."