Joe Marler wasn’t happy to discover Princess Anne still thought he was playing for England
Joe Marler has taken Mike Tindall to task after Princess Anne confused him with a current England star.
As a longstanding patron of Scottish rugby, the Princess Royal was the guest of honour at last month’s Calcutta Cup match in the Six Nations, which meant she got to meet both teams ahead of kick-off.
However, there was a case of mistaken identity when she met England tighthead prop Joe Heyes. Clearly oblivious to the fact that Marler had retired from all rugby 15 months ago, she thought she was talking to the Celebrity Traitors star, not the 26-year-old Leicester Tigers forward.
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Speaking after the match, Heyes joked: “She thought I was Joe Marler, which was quite upsetting. She said, ‘You’re awfully funny on TV.’
“I was a bit starstruck to start with. Who am I to correct her? I didn’t really know what to say. I almost went with it.'”
The mix-up was raised by Marler on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, which he hosts with Tindall, who is married to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara. Marler said: “She thought Joe Marler was me. She said, ‘Oh, you’re that funny one off the telly.’ That is such a low blow.”
Sticking up for his mother-in-law, Tindall replied: “She was brought up in Aberdeenshire; she doesn’t know you from Adam.” Tindall added: “It shows the branding’s not right.” A deadpan Marler replied: “Yeah, fair enough, maybe it’s my issue.”
With their bushy periods and burly frames, Heyes and Marler do look alike, so Princess Anne wasn’t the first person to confuse the pair. Heyes added: “I’ve had all sorts about me looking like Joe Marler, but not from a royal.
“I do like it when you get to meet the patron of whatever union you’re playing against. It’s a very cool moment.”
Marler, 35, has become a familiar figure away from rugby, appearing in adverts and hit BBC show Celebrity Traitors alongside stars like Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross.
Of more concern to Heyes will be England’s torrid Six Nations campaign. Steve Borthwick’s side finished fifth in the table following a 48-46 defeat by France in Paris last weekend.
Their victory over Wales in round one was the solitary win from a tournament that began amid high expectations but ended in crushing disappointment.
The RFU reviews every campaign using an anonymous panel of internal and external individuals, including former players, but on this occasion, Borthwick will be asked to provide the explanations and fixes for the team’s four-match losing run in the knowledge he is fighting for his future.
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