Marcus Smith: Northampton star wants to stay in fly-half role for England - 'The reason I fell in love with rugby'
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Published 09/10/2024 at 20:18 GMT+1
Full-back is not an unfamiliar position for Marcus Smith, having featured there for England at the 2023 World Cup. But injuries to key personnel saw him reprise the role in the league for the first time as Harlequins lost to Northampton Saints on Friday. Smith earned plaudits after scoring 19 points against the Saints, but the 25-year-old insists fly-half remains his favourite position.
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Marcus Smith has insisted fly-half is his favoured position despite impressing at full-back for club side Harlequins.
Smith will be hoping to keep the No. 10 jersey in Steve Borthwick’s England side for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series, with all 21 matches shown live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
But injuries forced Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson to deploy the 25-year-old in the back three for their narrow 33-29 defeat at Northampton Saints in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby clash, a role Smith filled at the 2023 World Cup.
After crossing twice and kicking nine points from full-back at Franklin’s Gardens, Smith made it clear that he would much prefer his stint there to be merely temporary.
"I am a fly-half, that is my position, the one I have grown up enjoying and it is the reason I fell in love with rugby," said Smith via BBC Sport.
"It is a team sport and wherever I am needed. I'm a competitive bloke, so I will fight as hard as I can for the team.
"Sometimes that is going to be at full-back, sometimes it is going to be at 10.
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“But I am still focused on being the best fly-half I can be and kicking on in that position that I love so much, hopefully for club and country."
The Harlequins man held off the challenge of Northampton’s Fin Smith to start at fly-half for all three of England’s summer Tests against New Zealand and Japan.
An Achilles injury to first-choice stand-off George Ford kept him out of action for those fixtures and the 31-year-old is facing a race against time to recover from a torn thigh to play a part in the Autumn Nations Series.
Smith’s club boss Wilson hailed the Philippines-born star after his position switch on Friday, calling the situation ‘needs-must’.
"He's class isn't he? Wherever you play him he's a fantastic rugby player. It was needs-must tonight and he did a great job.
“Marcus is a 10, he is our 10 and England’s 10,” said Wilson via BBC Sport.
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And after his maiden league bow at No. 15, his opposite number and England team-mate George Furbank said the switch will help his game while wearing his preferred jersey.
“He (Marcus Smith) did a pretty good job. He put on a bit of show in the first half. He can slide in anywhere and tear up.” Furbank said via Ruck.
“I think being able to play that 10 or 15 role, It just helps develop your game and probably get you on the same page a little bit more. The more you play together, the more you understand each other.
“The fact that he can then see it from a 15’s perspective, and I can see it from a 10’s perspective, it gets you on that same page, which is exactly what you want to be.”
England take on New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday, November 2, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Which Autumn Nations Series matches are on TNT Sports?
In April, it was announced that TNT Sports would broadcast every game of this year's Autumn Nations Series. Below is the full list of fixtures and kick-off times BST.
WEEK 1
November 2
- England v New Zealand, Twickenham Stadium, kick-off: 15:10
- Scotland v Fiji, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, kick-off: 17:40
WEEK 2
November 8
- Ireland v New Zealand, Aviva Stadium, kick-off: 20:10
November 9
- England v Australia, Twickenham Stadium, kick-off: 15:10
- Italy v Argentina, Stadio Friuli, kick-off: 17:40
- France v Japan, Stade de France, kick-off: 20:10
November 10
- Wales v Fiji, Principality Stadium, kick-off: 13:40
- Scotland v South Africa, Murrayfield Stadium, kick-off: 16:10
WEEK 3
November 15
- Ireland v Argentina, Aviva Stadium, kick-off: 20:10
November 16
- Scotland v Portugal, Murrayfield Stadium, kick-off: 15:10
- England v South Africa, Twickenham Stadium, kick-off: 17:40
- France v New Zealand, Stade de France, kick-off: 20:10
November 17
- Italy v Georgia, TBC, kick-off: 13:40
- Wales v Australia, Principality Stadium, kick-off: 16:10
WEEK 4
November 22
- France v Argentina, Stade de France, kick-off: 20:10
November 23
- Ireland v Fiji, Aviva Stadium, kick-off: 15:10
- Wales v South Africa, Principality Stadium, kick-off: 17:40
- Italy v New Zealand, Allianz Stadium, kick-off: 20:10
November 24
- Scotland v Australia, Murrayfield Stadium, kick-off: 13:40
- England v Japan, Twickenham Stadium, kick-off: 16:10
WEEK 5
November 30
- Ireland v Australia, Aviva Stadium, kick-off: 15:10
Stream the Gallagher Premiership, 2024 Autumn Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+
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