RWC 2015: England's Joe Marler confident scrum will come good against Fiji

Normally such a foundation stone under normal circumstances, the pack was reduced to gravel by the French in Paris last month

Joe Marler, right, admitted England’s scrum struggled in Paris (Getty Images)

If it all comes down to the scrum, as well it might when England raise the curtain on their own World Cup with a game against Fiji at Twickenham on Friday night, Joe Marler’s role will be as important as it gets. The fact that he would rather not discuss the subject – that he would much prefer to indulge in his favourite pastimes of sleeping and listening to Fleetwood Mac, which may or may not amount to the same thing – is either an indication of nerves or, more likely, an intensifying of attitude.

Red-rose props down the ages have taken the Trappist approach to big-match build-ups: for every ultra-vocal Phil Vickery, there have been a dozen silent Andrew Sheridans. So when Marler rolled his eyes at the merest mention of the set-piece contest with the South Sea islanders – “I was hoping to avoid the scrum questions you lot hammer on about,” he remarked – he was treading a well-worn path.

But those questions were always going to be asked ahead of the World Cup opener, not least because the England scrum, such a foundation stone under normal circumstances, was reduced to gravel by the French in Paris last month and was something less than an overwhelming triumph against Ireland a week and a half ago.

“It’s been a bit indifferent,” he confessed. “I’ve had two pre-season warm-up games that happened to be international matches against tough opposition. Normally, your warm-ups are against London Scottish or Connacht away, so this has been a bit unusual. But we’re getting some partnerships going again, getting used to each other’s different ways at scrum time. I think I’m getting there personally. We’ll see how it goes on Friday.”

Has there been a particular focus on the grunt-and-groan part of the game in the light of recent problems? “Yes, it’s been a focus, but it’s the same as any other week,” the Harlequins loose-head specialist responded. “We had a tough run against France in the second of the pre-World Cup matches, but I’m hoping we’ll come into some form in the tournament, where it counts. It’s important for us to have a set-piece platform, because if we don’t…” Cue lengthy pause. “If we don’t, we’ll be in a bit of trouble, won’t we?”

Marler has been known to make a virtue of his grumpiness and with the World Cup frenzy on the rise, it was no great surprise to find him in crotchety mood. Last week’s send-off event at the O2 Arena, headlined by Take That, did not transport him towards the heavens: “I’m not a big Take That fan,” he said. “I’m a big Robbie Williams fan and was gutted when he left. To hear he wasn’t coming back for the evening was disappointing. But all the boys enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed watching Jamie George (the substantial Saracens hooker) slipping up the stairs.”

In similar vein, he claimed he had not been besieged by friends begging for World Cup tickets – almost certainly a first in the annals of Test rugby. “It might be a case of me not having any mates,” he reflected. “Or that I’ve changed my number. That’s probably it. The people that actually matter, that I want to be a part of it, are in the know.”

Assuming Marler was not auditioning as the young Victor Meldrew in a One Foot in the Grave prequel, his mood could most easily be explained by the proximity of a game that could, if it goes wrong, wreck England’s prospects irredeemably. Which was probably a good thing from England’s perspective. History tells us that one grouchy prop can bring happiness to the multitude.