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Cape Town - England prop Joe Marler has plenty of regrets over his recent indiscretions that have seen him receive nine weeks of suspensions this season.
Marler received a six-week ban for striking with the shoulder in Harlequins' match against Sale on February 6, which has subsequently seen him miss the first two matches of England's Six Nations tournament against Italy and Wales.
The 27-year-old appears to be on his final warning with coach Eddie Jones, who emphasised he must clean up his act if he is to remain a permanent member of the squad.
And Marler has revealed he was 'gutted' to have missed out on the action, especially England's fraught 12-6 victory over Wales.
“I got home for the last five minutes,” Marler told the Guardian.
“It is my favourite fixture - England v Wales, the game I love playing in and I was gutted not being part of it.
"Watching the last five minutes, kicking the kids and the wife out of the lounge, I was like: ‘You need to leave, I need to watch the telly.’ That sticks with me. I really need to knuckle down now because I’m missing out on things I really want to be a part of.
“It is awful because there is no being managed in order to peak for Saturday. We have been up at the crack of dawn and just flogged. Rightly so, a little bit as a punishment.”
Marler is set for his return against Scotland at Murrayfield this Saturday after Alec Hepburn was released back to Exeter and the abrasive loosehead is looking to make amends for his 'mistakes'.
“Any mistake you make or penalty you give away [playing for your country] can have a huge repercussion,” Marler said.
“In a club game you can get away with a lot more and I’m probably a little bit fast and loose and try and get away with a bit much.
“It’s just the mindset of remembering when someone wants to rile me up, I’m more than capable of ignoring it. I’ve had a reputation for years and part of me relishes it. At international level it helps me stay a little bit more focused because there’s a lot more to lose.”
