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Harlequins are resigned to losing Marcus Smith to international duty this season as the player described by Warren Gatland as a future superstar of the game looks to retain his England place.
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New Quins boss Tabai Matson has revealed that Smith will not be available for his Gallagher Premiership champions until the round-four clash with Bristol on October 8 as he serves the mandatory stand-down period required of all England’s players involved on the recent Lions tour.
It was in South Africa that Lions head coach Gatland outlined his prediction for the 22-year-old fly-half’s trajectory after calling him up as injury cover for Finn Russell and being impressed by a virtuoso appearance against the Stormers on July 17.
Eddie Jones gave Smith his England debut against the USA in July and knowing that he is ready to challenge Owen Farrell and George Ford as the nation’s first-choice playmaker, Matson expects him to be absent for the autumn and Six Nations.
“If Marcus was here all year, I’d be disappointed in a manner. He’s exciting and I think all of English rugby is excited about his potential,” Matson said.
“To be 22 and having played 100 Premiership matches is a phenomenal achievement. It shows a number of things such as his durability.
“Clearly he’s quality. I’m not going to say he’s a world-class player yet, but he’s definitely got the potential to go to another level which is exciting for the club. He’s definitely tracking in the right direction.
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“Being a superstar is often based around longevity and we need to see if he can pull on that white jersey and play in it for five or six years, because that’s really where he should be playing.
“It’s a double-edged sword for Quins because on the back of our success you promote people to play for their country, which is what you want.
“We need to find ways to adapt and fill very big boots when he leaves.”
Matson has been at Quins five weeks following his appointment as senior coach to lead the quartet of Nick Evans, Adam Jones, Jerry Flannery and Charlie Mulchrone who steered the club to their Premiership title last season.
The former All Blacks centre, whose coaching CV includes spells at Bath, Fiji and the Chiefs, insists his recent arrival at The Stoop makes his job easier.
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“I think you’ve got to reset really well. It’s easy for me because I wasn’t here so I’m not burdened by the success,” he said.
“You have to be really clear in your stock take, saying we’ve got to improve in these areas and knowing what they are. That becomes your focal point. The context is different and the squad is different, so we have to adjust.”
Comments on RugbyPass
that backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
24 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
48 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
24 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
24 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
24 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
24 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
24 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to commentsAfter missing the curfew, the player was simply too “Shagged” to stand up.
17 Go to commentsVernier is probably the best 12 in the world though she has some English competition these days . I am nervous for England because it is unpredictable France and who knows which team will turn up, but they have not yet shown anything that should worry England, Saturday could be a different day. I would be more confident against the BFs.
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