I WAS MARLER: PROP-ER DONE

JOE MARLER thought his time at the top was over when Steve Borthwick pitched up with England seven years ago.

- ADAM HATHAWAY

And when Borthwick poached rookie scrum coach Tom Harrison from Leicester this summer he sensed it was curtains again.

Borthwick joined the set-up in January 2016 as assistant to boss Eddie Jones.

And Harlequins prop Marler feared he was toast having often clashed with Borthwick when he was a player at Saracens.

But Marler survived and heads to France with England on Thursday ahead of the opener against Argentina on September 9.