Marley Packer: Harlequins ‘perfect fit’ as he nears exit from Saracens

Packer initially considered retiring at the end of this season, though he did not share those thoughts with others.

He said a conversation with England head coach John Mitchell, in which he “raised a number of questions to me”, helped refocus him.

And with no deal on the table at Saracens, Packer had to act.

“I’m more of a proactive rather than a reactive type of person,” she said.

“Now I’ve got (son) Oliver and a mortgage, so I’ve contacted Harlequins to see if the door is open.”

Before Queens head coach Ross Chisholm met Packer, he attended Red Roses training and was impressed by the former England captain’s attitude and influence on the group.

“We had an open conversation,” Packer added.

“He said, ‘I really liked how you trained with the Red Roses (and) actually watching you in training, you’re someone who would be a really good fit for Harlequins’.”

Packer impressed for England in the Six Nations, winning man of the match awards against Wales and Italy, knowing that, once the tournament was over, he would have to make “some life choices”.

When he returned to Saracens, head coach Alex Osterberry made it clear that there was no new contract for him yet, so he decided it was time to move on.

And with his partner, fellow England World Cup winner Rosie Galligan, pregnant, and their son Oliver settled at a nearby school, there seemed an obvious option.

“Harlequins was only 20 minutes down the road, the fit seemed perfect,” he said.