Marcus Has All The Attributes To Be A World Class General

Marcus Has All The Attributes To Be A World Class General

We shouldn’t be surprised anymore when a young player such as Marcus Smith is introduced into the England squad. Admittedly, at 18, the Harlequins fly-half is younger than most, but with Maro Itoje, George Ford, Owen Farrell, and this season Sam Underhill and Tom Curry, having been there before him it is not quite such a mould-breaker.

If that is the level of talent available to England as fifth choice fly-half – which is where he is in the pecking order according to Eddie Jones – then they are pretty well-stocked at 10. At the moment he is behind Ford and Farrell, as well as Alex Lozowski, and either Piers Francis or Henry Slade.

However, with Lozowski, Francis and Slade all used in a utility back role by their clubs, Smith at least has the advantage of playing 10 on a regular basis for Harlequins.

You can tell already that Smith will be a very good club player for a long time to come because of his poise and skillset. You can see that he understands the game, and the playmaker’s role, and it is also great to see a young player with the confidence to boss older players. He ‘gets’ the game, and has the mindset where you almost see yourself as a player-coach, and if you handle that correctly it earns you the respect of team-mates.

Smith’s size at 5ft 7in and under 13 stone will always be an issue, but at age-group level he will already have been targeted by opposition coaches and found ways to overcome it. What stands out most in that respect is the time he has on the ball.