“It ranks up there with Cristiano Ronaldo” – England rugby star Joe Marler makes hilarious comparison of Al-Nassr superstar and himself
Rugby professional Joe Marler hilariously compared himself with Cristiano Ronaldo after his iconic assist helped England defeat Japan 34-12 in the 2023 Rugby World Cup yesterday (September 17).
England were able to end their World Cup drought by securing an important win against Japan in Group A. Joe Marler had a memorable moment in the clash when he headed the ball forward, catching out the Japanese players.
His 'assist' was received by Courtney Lawes who converted the try. While forward passes aren't allowed in rugby, the ball never came off his arm or hands, resulting in the try counting.
Marler jokingly took credit for his assist, likening his assist to Al-Nassr Cristiano Ronaldo. He said (via talkSPORT):
“Here’s some pointers on how to score a great header. You need to get in position early, you need to have clear comms to the playmaker so he can whip it in and find the target. You also need to jump, or someone just throws the ball really hard at your head.”
He added:
“I’d like to think it ranks up there with [Cristiano] Ronaldo and the way he used to get up in the air, but if I’m honest it was more like when John Prescott got egged.”
Ronaldo is renowned for his aerial prowess. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored an impressive 146 headers in 1181 appearances across all competitions for club and country.
"That winning feeling" - Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after scoring on Al-Nassr return
Cristiano Ronaldo reacted on X (formerly Twitter) after he helped Al-Nassr secure an important 3-1 win against Al-Raed away from home on Saturday, September 16.
Despite Al-Raed being the better side in the first half, Al-Nassr showed great resilience to not concede. Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in the 45th minute, giving Al-Alami the lead. Al-Raed's Bander Whaeshi was given a straight red card a minute later, giving the away side the advantage.
Anderson Talisca scored a long-range stunner in the 49th minute before Cristiano Ronaldo netted in the 78th minute. Al-Raed were able to pull a goal back via a Mohamed Fouzair penalty in the 89th minute, but Al-Nassr were able to hold on to secure all three points.
Ronaldo reacted to the result by posting:
"That winning feeling!"
Their win took Al-Nassr to sixth place in the Saudi Pro League table with 12 points from six games. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in sensational form this season, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in six appearances in total.