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Joe Marler has carved out a niche as rugby\u2019s ultimate maverick so it comes as a surprise to the England prop when Danny Cipriani claims there is no room for individuals in the game.<\/p>\n
A theme of the now-retired Cipriani\u2019s career was that of an unfulfilled talent on the international stage whose outrageous natural ability was never truly trusted by a succession of England coaches.<\/p>\n
In the 35-year-old former fly-half\u2019s autobiography, he suggests his face did not fit in the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cRugby has so many amazing qualities like camaraderie and teamwork. But it needs to allow people to be themselves,\u201d said Cipriani in his recently released autobiography \u2018Who Am I?\u2019.<\/p>\n
But as one of rugby\u2019s most colourful figures and the source of several disciplinary storms, Marler disagrees with Cipriani.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThat is his experience. That is his story. That is not my story,\u201d said Marler, who is expected to be on the bench for England\u2019s World Cup clash with Japan on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Cips\u2019 book fiction or non fiction? Do we know what section of the bookshop it will be in? I tried asking him the other night but he\u2019s not answering.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is Danny\u2019s view on it and I can\u2019t deny his view on it. But that is not how I see it. That is his experience and he is more than entitled to share that.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartin Johnson was in charge for my first camp 13 years ago. I had a mohawk \u2013 think it might have been red or stars and a rat\u2019s tail at the back. I looked horrific, actually.<\/p>\n
Is Cips\u2019 book fiction or non fiction? Do we know what section of the bookshop it will be in? I tried asking him the other night but he’s not answering<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember Martin Johnson coming down the steps and he went: \u2018Are you ready for training?\u2019 I said \u2018yeah, definitely\u2019.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHe said \u2018are you going to have a haircut before you get to training?\u2019 I was like \u2018Umm\u2019. Then he just walked off.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow some people might interpret that as him being serious and it might be a case that actually you don\u2019t fit the bill, you need to go and shave your hair off. But I took it as \u2018he\u2019s just joking\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cFunnily enough I was sent home the next day! But I think it had more to do with the fact Andrew Sheridan\u2019s back recovered. I\u2019d like to think that!<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s up to the individual. You\u2019ve got a choice in how you react to being told something.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe perfect position would be everyone working towards what\u2019s best for the team whilst still being able to show who they are, what they\u2019re about, how they want to do it and how they can add to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marler is taking part in his third World Cup and has seen his Test career reborn since Steve Borthwick replaced Eddie Jones at the end of last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving been out of the previous environment for 18 months and then coming back into Steve\u2019s environment and experiencing it for the first time in a World Cup camp and now here, there has been a huge difference in terms of how a lot of the group have felt, who they can be and how they can behave,\u201d Marler said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s that\u2019s had a massive effect on how the players are approaching training and how they are enjoying themselves both on and off the pitch.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, I just try my hardest to encourage that environment to keep that consistent because it does need work. It does not just happen.\u201d<\/p>\n