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Harlequins name Marcus Smith to start after his England release
Marcus Smith has been named to start by Harlequins on Saturday after he was dropped from this week’s England training squad by Steve Borthwick. The out-half had lost his Test place at No10 in recent weeks, benching for Owen Farrell rather than starting with him in a 10/12 combination.
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Borthwick abandoned that partnership inherited from Eddie Jones after the opening round loss to Scotland and Smith’s game time since then as a replacement has been minimal. For instance, he was only introduced as an 80th-minute replacement in last Saturday’s win over Wales, coming on for the round three game’s final play.
That restricted exposure resulted in Borthwick taking the decision to send Smith back to Harlequins to play in their Big Game promotion versus Exeter and call up George Ford instead for the two-and-a-half-day England camp in Brighton.
While Borthwick stressed that Smith would be named on Sunday in the England squad that will prepare for the upcoming March 11 Six Nations game at home to France, the player’s exclusion from the Brighton training camp ignited speculation that he is poised to lose his place to Ford in the Test match 23.
That selection remains to be seen and, in the meantime, Smith has been given an opportunity by Harlequins to strut his stuff at Twickenham as their No10 when they take on the Chiefs. He is included in an XV that contains Joe Marchant and Cadan Murley, the pair who were also released by England to get some Premiership exposure.
A Harlequins statement also noted a milestone appearance for veteran Danny Care. “Quins’ trio of returning England players all step into the starting XV this week, with Marcus Smith, Joe Marchant and Cadan Murley, with 374 club appearances between them, bolstering the backline.
“With regards to record-setting, having recently broken the Harlequins appearance record, Danny Care will go into second place in the all-time Premiership Rugby appearance record when he runs out onto the pitch on Saturday, surpassing current England head coach Steve Borthwick on 265 league appearances. Care will be second only to current Leicester Tigers interim head coach Richard Wigglesworth on 322 Premiership appearances.
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Harlequins boss Tabai Matson said: “Big Game is such an amazing event. Last year being involved in my first Big Game made me realise that it really is spectacular. I know it has moved date but we are hoping for nearly 60,000 people at Twickenham, so it’s a really special event. The players are buzzing and that has changed the energy of the week.
“In Exeter, you couldn’t have picked a better team to play in front of so many people. It was only a couple of years ago we played them in a final, so for a number of reasons it’s a really good week for us and there is some really good energy amongst the group leading into it.”
Harlequins (vs Exeter, Saturday – 5.15)
1. Joe Marler (260)
2. George Head (15)
3. Wilco Louw (61)
4. Dino Lamb (76)
5. Stephan Lewies (56) – Captain
6. Jack Kenningham (35)
7. James Chisholm (128)
8. Tom Lawday (72)
9. Danny Care (352)
10. Marcus Smith (134)
11. Josh Bassett (11)
12. Andre Esterhuizen (63)
13. Joe Marchant (147)
14. Cadan Murley (93)
15. Nick David (26)
Replacements:
16. Sam Riley (23)
17. Fin Baxter (19)
18. Simon Kerrod (92)
19. Irne Herbst (17)
20. Will Evans (58)
21. Luke Wallace (193)
22. Scott Steele (28)
23. Luke Northmore (53)
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Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments