Marcus Smith: Danny Care hopes 'special' fly-half commits future to Harlequins - ‘He's a once in a generation player’

Danny Care has lauded Marcus Smith as a generational talent and expressed his hope that the 25-year-old will spend his entire career at Harlequins.

Scrum-half Care and fly-half Smith form one of the deadliest 9 and 10 duos in club rugby, while the pair have also played together for England.

Smith has been on fine form for Quins in this season’s Gallagher Premiership and was instrumental during a narrow 40-36 victory over Bath last Saturday, scoring a stunning solo try to help his side remain on course for a place in the play-offs.

“I’m sick of saying it but he’s special,” Care told TNT Sports. “He’s a once-in-a-generation type of player. We’re very lucky to have him here, hopefully forever. We’d like to keep him here.

“He can do things other players can’t but his ability to dominate a game and take control of big games in the moment is… he’s world class in that.”

Smith has also made a name for himself on the international scene, announcing himself onto the world stage in 2021.

Seen as the natural successor to Owen Farrell, Smith admitted in an interview with TNT Sports pundit Ugo Monye that he has found the pressure difficult to handle at times.

He has come under scrutiny over his defence but Monye believes England are “lucky to have” a player with the creative flair of Smith in their ranks.

“People forget when he actually came onto the international circuit,” Monye said. “That was 2021, it’s not even quite been three years and in that short period of time he’s won the Premiership, he’s played for the Lions, he’s been to the World Cup and he’s played in multiple Six Nations and had some huge moments in that.

“We’re very lucky to have a young fella as talented as him who played in the way he wants to.”

Former Scotland international Ryan Wilson echoed Monye’s sentiments, describing Smith as a “joy to watch.”

“You hear all about him and you see his competitive nature,” Wilson added. “To hear him in his own words talk about the pressure he’s under in that 10 jersey and what it does to you, it’s really great.

“He is a joy to watch. He’s had so many accolades at such a young age in only three years of international rugby.

“He’ll be wanting do anything he can in this Quins jersey to do it at domestic level.”

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.