The 'massive' Marcus Smith asset that Owen Farrell really admires
England skipper Owen Farrell has spoken with effusive praise about his new Test team contemporary Marcus Smith, the 22-year-old who debuted during the summer series and was then called up by Warren Gatland to join Farrell and co with the Lions in South Africa. The 30-year-old Farrell has yet to play at Test level with the newcomer who is eight years his junior.
However, the expectation now is that Smith, a Premiership title winner last June with Harlequins, will be the starting England No10 next month with Farrell outside him in the No12 channel following the omission of George Ford, the long-time starting out-half, from the latest squad chosen by Eddie Jones.
Smith isn’t a complete stranger to Farrell. They even shared a room together during one of the occasions in the past when Jones used to invite Smith along to England training so that he could get a feel of the environment as a youngster. But Smith is now included with the view to becoming the next long-serving England No10 and Farrell, who needs just one more appearance to become an England and Lions Test level centurion, is liking what he is seeing from the upcoming half-back.
“It’s his passion for the game that you can see oozes out of him,” said Farrell on the morning of England’s second day at their preparation camp in Jersey ahead of the November matches versus Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
“You can see even when he scored at the weekend (for Harlequins) he loves scoring, he loves doing well for his team and he is really enjoying playing at the minute so he wears his heart on his sleeve as it looks when the game comes around. That is a massive asset to have, the immense passion he has got for the game.
"I try and keep God on my side so he looks after me on the field"
– Premiership player of the year nominee Marcus Smith talks about his faith, his Asian roots, his rejuvenated form and his enduring love for @Harlequins#BRIvHAR https://t.co/zGVufoSIVu
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 17, 2021
“He is obviously a massive talent and a very exciting player. We have worked together before. He has been in camp before when he was a bit younger. Shared a room together and things like that before in the past and it was good to get to know him a bit better over the summer (with the Lions).
“He is a brilliant lad and he is not just a very talented player but a proper student of the game. That sounds a bit cliched but I mean he is really bothered about getting better, he is really bothered about understanding the game more and he loves chatting about rugby. That made it easy for me to get on with him.
“He seems like he is confident because it seems to me like he has done the work because he understands the game because he knows exactly what he wants to get out of it. When he speaks he speaks sense and that obviously helps your confidence and helps when it comes to playing in a position that he does and he is obviously doing that really well at the minute.
“I know me and George played together for a long time but we were constantly chatting. That is why I said we had a good understanding and Marcus seems that he likes doing that anyway, he likes talking about rugby, he likes to understand the game, he likes to prepare the best he possibly can and that for such a talented player who can unlock a game himself is obviously a brilliant balance to have.
“He is someone that can unlock a game himself but has got a brilliant eye for how to make a team work as well. That sort of balance you want to make sure he keeps and he has got the attitude that will do that for hopefully a long time. I’m happy to help wherever. Marcus is someone who loves talking rugby, loves chatting about the game, loves trying to understand the game a bit better hopefully and if I can help him do that in any way possible I would love to.”
Asked if Smith had any bad habits when they shared an England room together, Farrell quipped: “None that I can say here, no. I’m joking. He’s a brilliant roommate. He’s a nice lad.”
Would Owen Farrell help or hinder Marcus Smith when he plays for England this Autumn? ? @ChrisRobshaw pic.twitter.com/meCNo6iEAD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 24, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments