Joe Marler has labelled England's campaign in France “a decent journey” but concedes he is “gutted” they “blew” the chance of becoming World champions.
The loosehead was one of the stand out pack performers as Steve Borthwick's men went so close to defying the critics and odds before finally enduring semi-final heartbreak.
Marler, 33, is expected to retire from all rugby at the end of one last club season with Harlequins with a career in media in the offing. He will follow the likes of Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs and Jonny May who have already announced they have played their last international with head coach Borthwick ready to start planning for the future and making wholesale changes to the squad which contests the Six Nations in the New Year.
The 88-capped forward admits there will always be a lingering regret that he never had the chance to sign off having emulated the 2003 World Cup winning side. But Marler insists: “If someone had said five months ago we would finish third we would have bitten their hand off because we had appalling form going into it, losing to Fiji at Twickenham etc.
“We went into the World Cup with our backs against the wall and a lack of support, which was probably justified at times as it was hard for people to get behind us. But we tried our best and had a cracking time before ultimately blowing it.
“We had the back to back world champions on the ropes throughout the game, playing some of our best rugby…but then blew it. Yes, South Africa deserved it at the end but I am gutted we didn't make it to the final.
“It was a decent journey getting as far as we did and it gives the team something to build on for the future even if it will look a bit different next year.
“There's going to be a bit of a difference in terms of a few older heads retiring like Courtney Lawes, Ben Youngs with 200 plus caps between them. They have been real stalwarts of the team over the years.
“They will be big boots to fill but the youngsters coming through are exciting. They have loads of potential but putting them on the Test stage is another level. You have to be consistently better at your basics. You just can't come out with a little bit of X-factor here or there, it has to be consistent. We have a job to help them do that, and hopefully we can kick on in the Six Nations.”
Marler concedes the Springboks deserve to be heralded for defending their title insisting: “The mental capacity of South Africa won them the tournament. They were knackered against us after playing France but to have the resilience to beat us and then go again in the final was incredible.”
He firmly believes England's overall performances and results, plus the thrilling quarter-finals, provided a much needed shot in the arm for a sport which has been going through hard times since Covid.
He added: “I thought the standard of rugby was mega. Those two quarter-finals were some of the best rugby I've seen. The level has risen and it's getting so fast and hard … probably too fast and hard for me!
“We haven't had the best headlines as a sport recently in terms of clubs financially folding and trying to get more people through the gates and make it a better spectacle. But the amount of people who tuned in around the world to the tournament makes me feel rugby has really stood up as a sport.”
