Marler joined the Harlequins Academy in 2008 but had to wait a while to make his impact in the first team. After reprensting Sussex at age-grade level, he was selected for England Under-18s in 2007 and went onto play for the Under-20s in the next couple of seasons. On the domestic stage he spent 2008-09 on loan at Worthing and some of 2009-10 campaign at Esher RFC in the Championship.

But come the 2010-11 season Marler - and his colourful hairstyles - were getting more game time in the Harlequins starting XV. Question marks still surrounded his temperament, with a series of yellow cards and a red for his part in a punch-up with Tigers prop Marcos Ayerza blighting his impressive debut season.

It was the 2011-12 campaign where Marler really came into his own. He was Harlequins' first-choice loose-head and was channelling any previous ill-discipline into a series of mature and ruthlessly efficient performances for the Premiership champions.

Blessed with huge potential and new-found scrummaging ability, Marler was part of England's squad for the 2012 Six Nations and then got the nod in their first Test of the summer series against South Africa, performing solidly against a Springbok pack that often had the edge on the tourists.