'A unique, controversial character and player'

"The very first time we saw him play, I remember this player just flying past us down the touchline and us both going, 'Woah! Who is that?' thinking it was a wing – it was a prop, and it was Joe Marler."

Three Six Nations Championships, 95 England caps, and two Premiership titles later, Marler's 15-year career is coming to an end.

The 34-year-old announced his surprise decision to retire on Wednesday, saying it was time to "finally jump off that rollercoaster" in a joint statement with Harlequins.

BBC rugby union commentators Sara Orchard and Andy Rowley have followed his career closely since that day he raced past them on the touchline as an unknown young player.

And before his final competitive match for Harlequins on Friday, they reflect on the many ups, downs, twists and turns on that rollercoaster.

Circa 2008 to 2010, Orchard and Rowley were working on a BBC Radio London rugby programme called The Scrum and attended a local derby between Esher and Richmond-based London Scottish.

Orchard is now BBC Sport and BBC Radio 5 Live rugby union commentator and regularly covers England internationals, while Rowley commentates on Harlequins games for Radio London.

And the two of them were blown away by the speed and technical ability they saw from the young prop Marler, who had a dual registration with Harlequins and Esher at the time.

"Unbelievable – the pace. He's transformed a lot, but at that time he was so quick," Rowley says.

"How good his hands were throughout his career. Him and the likes of [fellow ex-England prop] Mako Vunipola, were distributers, and that was pretty new for props to be that good [with their hands].

"And people playing with him at that time knew he was going to be that good from that early age."

Marler made his Quins debut in 2009 and three years later was wearing the white of England when he made his debut on a tour of South Africa, fresh off the back of winning his first Premiership title.

"He is a controversial character, there's no two ways about it and some people will probably dislike him, but in the same breath there will be people who absolutely adore and love him," Orchard says.

"He was one of a new generation of props where we'd moved away from that World Cup era of England winning in 2003 and the hulking ‘dad’s army’. We were moving into an era where you needed more from a prop.

"And that was what Joe Marler did; young as he was, he probably didn't even realise he was doing it at that point. It's no surprise he went on to play for England as long as he did."

During a stellar international career, Marler racked up 95 caps, won the Six Nations three times - including the Grand Slam in 2016 - and was part of the England side that reached the 2019 World Cup final in Japan, losing 32-12 to the Springboks in Yokohama.

In Paris last year, England again tasted defeat at the hands of the same opposition at the semi-final stage, with a World Cup winners' medal ultimately evading him as he announced his international retirement soon after.

He has been a core part of Harlequins' first two Premiership title wins in the club's history in 2011-12 and nine years later in 2020-21.

Marler's final game for the club comes against Bristol Bears, the opponents for Quins' famous "Bristanbul" comeback victory three years ago.

Having been flown to the game at Ashton Gate in a helicopter after the birth of his child, Marler played the full match plus extra time as Quins came from 28-0 down to triumph 43-36 on their way to claiming the league trophy.

"There's Joe Marler on the field, which is [an] incredible scrummager, is what I think he'll be renowned for. But also, we have to talk about him off-field, don't we," Orchard says.

While success has been at the forefront of Marler's long career, controversy hasn't been far behind.

He's described himself in the past as a pantomime villain on the pitch.

"There's no denying that the reason we're talking about him with the affection, or some will say they think it's disdain, is because of what he's offered away from the rugby pitch," Orchard says.

"I have to say – what a character. The sport needs people like this, don't they?"

Rowley adds: "You can't ignore him, can you? But he has, I imagine, been quite difficult to manage at times."

In 2016, he was banned for two matches and fined by World Rugby for calling Samson Lee a "Gypsy boy" in England's Six Nations clash with Wales.

He received a 10-week ban for grabbing the genitals of captain Alun Wyn Jones against the same opposition in 2020.

Last year, he was again criticised for a social post that said the "ridiculous" haka "needs binning", which he later apologised for.

"A lot of people think that that's a bit of fun, saying that the haka has to be binned by New Zealand and that they shouldn't have what some perceive as competitive advantage," Orchard says.

"It's also considered incredibly insulting to the whole Mauri culture. It's described as a cultural challenge for a reason, the haka, and it should be respected.

"Therefore, a flippant comment on social media often does not go down well, no matter how light-hearted someone might think that this actually is. So that's where Joe does often get into a lot of trouble."

Marler is an active user of social media and has his own podcast. His distinctive personality has led to him appearing as a celebrity expert on Michael McIntyre's BBC TV game show, The Wheel, as his profile has continued to grow away from the field.

He has also been a vocal advocate for promoting mental health, opening up on his own struggles, which led to him withdrawing from England contention in a documentary called Big Boys Don't Cry.

And shining a light on that vulnerability is something Orchard describes as a "massive" part of his legacy.

"He's really put that on the map. I really think that side of Joe has been so important for the sport," she says.

"And you hope so many people have learned from his example of talking about these things.

"He knows he's not the perfect human being."

When announcing his retirement, Marler thanked the Harlequins fanbase for the patience, support and kindness they have given him, even when he hasn't felt he has deserved it and they could have turned their back on him, he said.

But the days of the mohawk and beard-sporting, onesie-wearing big man arriving at training and matches on a scooter are almost over.

Tonight, the charismatic prop will don the famous quarters and cross the whitewash at The Stoop for the final time when Quins return to Premiership action following the autumn international break.

But with the growth of his media presence in recent years, rugby fans will expect to see plenty more of the former England man after he leaves the pitch.

"When it comes to Joe, he's got the bravery," Orchard adds.

"We've got so many sanitised sportsmen and women out there who just say what they think is the party line – Joe's never done that.

“Everyone will miss him. But that’s not to say he’s still going to be in the headlines because he’s still got a social media account, and he’s going to use it.

"He can divide opinion, but he has been a very special, unique rugby union player – and I think that's the biggest thing everyone will take from his career."