Joe Marler has withdrawn himself from England's plans for next week's match against Wales and the three-Test tour of Australia.

The former Worthing Raider pulled out saying he needed "a short rest" from the game.

Marler, from Hellingly, spoke to England head coach Eddie Jones at England's training base in Brighton about his decision to swerve the Wallabies series.

Jones said: "Joe played brilliantly during the RBS 6 Nations and he will be a big loss in Australia.

"Joe knows better than anyone what it takes to be part of a winning international team and he obviously doesn't feel like he's quite there at the moment. We fully support Joe's difficult decision and admire his honesty."

Marler has experienced a tough few months in which he has been banned for abusing Wales prop Samson Lee, whom he called 'gypsy boy' during the teams' Six Nations clash, and then for kicking Grenoble hooker Arnaud Heguy in the head.

England tackle Wales on May 29 in a pre-tour clash at Twickenham. They then face Tests in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

The RFU said Marler would have been in the England squad for the trip Down Under, and Jones is confident the 25-year-old will benefit from a summer at home.

The decision to skip the tour looks unlikely to affect his England prospects.

Jones said: "He's a young man with a very bright future. There's no doubt in my mind he'll use this time wisely and come back feeling refreshed and ready to be part of England again."