'There was a mixed reaction, to be honest. I completely fooled them all — they didn't know it was me, including my own kids. But my little daughter, Maggie, is 11 months old and she was terrified cheap la femme dresses !' This season, in a rugby sense, this Santa's gift to himself and his club, to Eddie Jones and England, has been playing the good-guy role consistently, without the need for a red hood and white beard. Pantomime season is in full swing but Joe Marler is no longer being cast as the villain. In fact, he has been able to play the good guy for a change — not that everyone has been happy about it. As demonstrated at Twickenham on Tuesday, when Quins won their latest 'Big Game', against Gloucester, the 26-year-old is nearing peak form again, having learned to harness his innate aggression while smoothing the rough edges which kept landing him in trouble. Provided he stays fit, he will surely line up against France at HQ on February 4. It would be his first start since the game against Wales last March, when he was condemned and banned for calling Samson Lee 'gypsy boy'. With help from a psychologist, Marler has changed since that infamous episode la femme homecoming dresses 2017 . 'I'm not a totally different bloke now, but a couple of things needed addressing, on and off the field,' he said. 'I'm in a much better space now, in both my rugby and my family life. 'I'm trying to enjoy the confrontational side of the game without going over the top. There were times at Twickenham on Tuesday when I was happy to get stuck into a couple of the Gloucester boys and vice-versa, but it was all done with smiles on our faces, in a respectful way, as opposed to how I've done it before. 'It's more channelled now. I've tried to make sure I don't make myself all about… that, any more. I do my job for the team now and enjoy those little confrontational bits as a laugh in between.' At home, donning a festive costume didn't have quite the desired effect. 'We had a kids' party at our place and I offered to dress up as Santa,' said the Harlequins and England prop. Marler has chased off the demons which stalked him late last season and, while that process is ongoing and far from easy, he has succeeded so far. His decision to miss the tour of Australia last June cleared the way for Mako Vunipola to firmly establish himself as the country's premier loosehead — and arguably the form player in the world in that position 2017 la femme bridal dresses . However, the multi-talented Saracen is in danger of missing the entire Six Nations with a knee injury, so Marler is destined to reclaim the No 1 shirt that was his by right for so long. By his own admission, Marler was regularly losing his head last spring. Having been castigated for the remark aimed at Lee, he soon found himself in disciplinary hot water again, for kicking Grenoble hooker Arnaud Heguy in the head. Recognising that he was not in the appropriate mental state to do his job properly, he told Jones that he could not join England's tour Down Under. Instead, he sought help from the squad psychologist, former England cricketer Jeremy Snape. It has paid off. 'I feel completely in control now,' Marler added. 'When I go on the field, I have a couple of close shaves from time to time, but I don't think I'll ever get rid of that side of it, because that's a huge part of why I play the game. 'It's a physical sport. If I wanted to do something that wasn't, I'd try darts, but I'd be awful at it! It wouldn't be right for me, because there's no confrontation in it. 'For now, it is something I have to keep working on and keep driving, in order to make it a habit. I don't think I'm that far off now, but there have been examples of guys in the game, lately, who still have their moments, so it is definitely something I will keep focusing on, week to week.' While past problems often stemmed from excessive physical aggression, the verbal outburst at Lee drew arguably the most strident criticism. It certainly hasn't led to a vow of silence from Marler, who is renowned as a talkative character — but he is filtering his on-field words better. 'I haven't made a conscious effort to shut up,' he said. 'I just don't go down the route of being racist or particularly abusive. I tend to keep it a little bit more friendly and have a laugh with the guys as well. 'That is something I also enjoy about the game: having a laugh, a bit of banter, a bit of sledging La Femme Dresses Outlet . Like it was publicised last year, I went over the top and paid for it.' Asked if any opponents have tried to test out his resolve this season, he added: 'The only time was when we played Worcester at The Stoop before the autumn. Donncha O'Callaghan, who I have always admired — he loves that side of the game, a bit of niggle and off-the-ball chat. 'It was a bit back and forth, back and forth. He sent me a message on Twitter after the game saying, 'Sorry it got a big heated, but good luck with the rest of the season'. He's probably the only guy who has really tested me out in that regard.' Marler's decision to miss Australia allowed him to make the changes needed to rejuvenate his career, so he was content it was the right call, even if the upshot had been that he never played for his country again. When he told Jones how he felt, he said: 'If it means I am giving up my Test career, so be it. I need to get back to a place where I just enjoy myself again.' Not only has he done that, he soon performed with sufficient authority to be reintegrated into the Test squad for the autumn series and having served as Vunipola's understudy, he is now primed to deputise for him in the Six Nations. He feels ready, if called upon — although he knows that he has a hard act to follow. 'Mako's got it all now,' he said. 'He's always been talented, but he's now an 80-minute man and he's also improved his scrummaging. I don't see many other looseheads doing what he can do. He has set the bar and the rest of us have to try to catch up with him. 'I can't do all the things Mako can do, or as well as he can do them, so I just have to offer something else to the team. If Eddie needs me to start in the Six Nations, I will be happy to do it, but we will wait until we get there. One of the shifts in mindset I had in the summer was to not think too far ahead and not worry about what I can't control, because that is wasted energy.' Last season, he was wasting energy playing the villain. Not now. The good guy is proving to be a far more enjoyable part.
