England prop Joe Marler is in hot water again for derogatory comments he made about a rival’s mother during a game between Harlequins and the Bristol Bears last week.
Marler has been handed a six-week ban by the England Rugby Union, with four of those weeks suspended, after he sledged Bristol Bears back-rower Jake Heenan twice before a brawl broke out between the two sides.
According to the Telegraph, audio from the incident was leaked on social media.
Just before a scrum, Marler can be heard saying to Heenan: “I’m clearly not your brother, am I? There’s no way I’m from the same mother as you. Your mum’s a f***** wh***.”
The prop, who has played 83 tests for England allegedly repeated: “Your mum’s a wh***”. The second comment led to a fight breaking out between the two forward packs.
After complaints by Bristol players, referee Karl Dickson said he did not hear the derogatory comments before Heenan could then be heard saying: “Karl, my mum’s in hospital with cancer”.
Marler later reached out to Heenan on social media and apologised.
Ahead of Marler’s disciplinary hearing on Saturday, Harlequins head coach Tabai Matson said his player was remorseful.
“Clearly, he (Marler) is really apologetic.”He didn’t know the full context of what he said. What he said was wrong. He reached out to Jake and Jake replied and accepted his apology and then they had a good chat after that.
”He has been apologetic to us as well. He is annoyed that he has dragged the club into this kerfuffle. He has been apologetic and probably the key thing for me is that Jake accepted his apology. Clearly what he said was wrong and he wouldn’t have said it if he knew the full context.”
Disciplinary panel chair, Gareth Graham said there was no place in the game for those type of comments, the Telegraph reports.
“The insulting and offensive comments made by the player were wholly inappropriate; such comments should form no part of the modern game.
“The panel had regard to the player’s poor disciplinary record (as an aggravating feature), and to the fact he had accepted the charge and had apologised to the Bristol player (as mitigating factors).”
In April 2016 Marler received a two match ban and £20,000 fine after calling Welsh prop Samson Lee a ‘gypsy boy’.
Two years ago he was slapped with a 10-week ban after grabbing Welshman Alun Wyn Jones’s genitals during Six Nations game.
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