Princess Anne mistook England prop Joe Heyes for his former international team-mate Joe Marler when she greeted the players before the Six Nations defeat to Scotland
Joe Heyes has shared an amusing mix-up where he was mistaken for Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler by the Princess Royal, during her pre-match greeting of England’s squad ahead of Saturday’s clash with Scotland at Murrayfield.
Princess Anne, who has been a patron of the Scottish Rugby Union since 1986, paused to converse with a “starstruck” Heyes during the traditional team presentation before the anthems of the Guinness Six Nations match.
However, England’s tighthead prop found himself being misidentified as his former international colleague Marler, who gained popularity as a finalist in the BBC’s hit reality game show Celebrity Traitors last November.
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Heyes recounted: “She thought I was Joe Marler, which was… quite upsetting. She said ‘You’re awfully funny on TV!’.
“It was a very cool experience. I do like it when you get to meet the patron of whatever union you’re playing against.
“I didn’t correct her because I was a bit starstruck to start with. Who am I to correct her? I didn’t really know what to say! I almost went with it!”.
“I’ve had all sorts about me looking like Joe Marler – but not from a royal!”.
England’s Murrayfield curse struck once more as they suffered a decisive 31-20 defeat, extending their search for a first win at the venue since 2020.
In response, head coach Steve Borthwick has made three changes to the line-up for Saturday’s encounter with Ireland at Allianz Stadium, including Henry Pollock earning his first Test start after seven appearances off the bench.
Even as a 21 year old newcomer, the bleach-blonde Northampton back-rower has become a Twickenham crowd favourite, and Heyes is confident he’ll excel in England’s number eight jersey.
“Henry’s a very confident, very skilful and very ambitious player,” the Leicester front row said. “He provides a huge amount of energy to the team. He’s going to go far.
“I remember his run down the left wing at Murrayfield. For someone who you may look at and think does not look hugely powerful – he is.
“He’s one hell of an athlete and has a lot of impact. He has a lot of energy and he’s still young. He brings his personality in a physical way, which is a good thing to see.
“You don’t want someone who is full of personality but who does not provide on the pitch. He gives both. He’s a key player in our squad.”
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England skipper Maro Itoje reaches his century of caps on Saturday, becoming the country’s ninth male player to achieve the milestone.
“You know Maro is on your team – he’s talking to you at mauls, scrums, nominating and talking around the pitch,” Heyes said.
“He’s a genuinely brilliant leader by words – he is incredibly articulate – but also by his actions. He drives a lot of standards. He is one of the best captains that I have played under.”