Eddie Jones salutes 'honest and mature' Joe Marler after prop quits England duty

England head coach Eddie Jones paid tribute to “honest and mature” Joe Marler after the Harlequins prop retired from international duty to spend more time with his family.

Marler won 59 caps since his debut in 2012 and toured with the Lions last year, but believes he is unable to fully commit to Test rugby due to the time away from home.

Marler, 28, said: “It is an incredible commitment to play rugby for England and I strongly believe that if you are unable to give yourself fully to it, then it is time to step away, otherwise it would not be fair on the team or my family. Being with England you have to spend an incredible amount of time away and I could not do that any more.”

Marler was a certainty for England’s World Cup squad to compete with Mako Vunipola for the loose-head berth, but Jones must now turn his attention to finding a replacement.

Jones said: “He’s an honest, hard-working player and we understand his reasoning. He’s honest and mature and understands the demands on family life. He’s great to have around, so we’ll miss him greatly.”

Ben Moon, the veteran Exeter prop, took Marler’s place in the training camp at Bristol earlier this week and may earn a debut in the autumn series, which sees England take on South Africa, New Zealand, Japan and Australia at Twickenham. Ellis Genge is out injured until next year, while Moon’s Exeter team-mate Alec Hepburn and Northampton’s Alex Waller could come back into the equation.