Significant developments over the summer gave rise to lofty expectations among his new Sale Sharks teammates but the 30-year-old centre knows he has not lived up to them. I’m not the best.” Marchant is, of course, referring to his football skills rather than the rugby ones and the added expectation to perform in a pre-training kick-about after former Newcastle and England captain Alan Shearer became his father-in-law over the summer. In every other department, Marchant has done nothing but impress in his new surroundings.
The director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, has been blown away by Marchant’s qualities and after returning to England after three years in France with Stade Français, Steve Borthwick seems sure to be taking advantage too. As we will soon discover, Marchant’s spell in France might never have happened had Borthwick been appointed a month or two earlier but he regrets nothing about his time in Paris and it does not take long in his company to see how much he has benefited from it. He is always perfectly polite but some of Marchant’s media appearances during England’s 2023 World Cup campaign could be filed under forgettable.
After three years in Paris, however, he is markedly more engaging as he prepares for his Prem comeback. He has been getting stick for slipping into French during training sessions and styling out a call of “J’ai”, effectively “my ball,” into “Joe’s”, but that demonstrates the level to which Marchant threw himself into the Top 14 and the Parisian lifestyle. Marchant’s aerial ability was valued by Borthwick to the extent he often appeared on the wing but in Sanderson’s eyes it is his communication as a defensive coordinator that sets him apart.
When it comes to identifying areas of his game that improved in France, Marchant agrees. Here, there’s no translation in my head as I am going to call something. I am literally seeing something and I am able to communicate it.
I know exactly what I’m saying and this is how I’m going to do it. I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes with my French. I think the French lads appreciated that because I think there are a lot of foreigners who go over and don’t learn the language.
But you’ve just got to jump in.” There are not many players at Borthwick’s disposal who can boast years of Premiership experience as well as spells in France and New Zealand – Marchant spent part of 2020 with the Blues in Auckland and the pair have kept in regular contact since the 2023 World Cup. The difference between that and being in the Top 14 for three years is that it is such an intense league, it’s so physical and you get bigger people.” That variety should stand him in good stead and Marchant makes no secret of the fact that he wants to add to his 28 England caps sooner rather than later. I understand that you need to play against the boys you’re competing with, and I hadn’t done that for three years.” Evidently there is a sense of unfinished business.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
