'The most exciting player England have' - but can Marcus Smith show 'magical' best for Harlequins in 2026/27 PREM season? Danny Care gives his view

Among those players is Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith.

The 27-year-old won his 50th England cap earlier this year, equalling George Ford’s record as the fastest player to reach the milestone.

But most of his appearances for England over the last 18 months have been at full-back, and he even made a cameo at scrum-half against Fiji in the summer.

That's because in the battle to be starting fly-half, Smith looks to be third in the pecking order behind Fin Smith and George Ford.

Former Quins scrum-half Danny Care believes club form will be key to Marcus Smith showing his "magical" best this season and staking his claim ahead of the World Cup.

"It was tough last year for Marcus," said TNT Sports expert Care.

"Harlequins had a tough year, down at the bottom, struggling for consistency, and as a No. 10 you need consistency to perform.

"You need a fit squad, you need a pack that can compete to give you the front football you need to go on and do your thing and be one of the most magical players England has ever seen. 

"I hope Quins get that right this year and give him a platform to go on and be special consistently.

"I don't think there is a world where he doesn't make the England squad because for me he is still probably the most exciting player England have to call upon.

"It's just where can we get the best out of him and where can we get him on the pitch to give him the space to go?"

Smith said over the summer that he is "extremely proud of the versatility" he has shown in playing different positions for England.

But Care believes it is important for him to continue to demonstrate his talent in the No. 10 position for Quins.

"For me he is a fly-half, he almost suffers from his own success as he is so good at rugby, you could put him almost anywhere and he would perform. 

"That is why he has found himself in the No. 15 jersey or No. 22, because he can cover both positions.

"For him it is about getting as many touches of the ball as he can in a No. 10 shirt for Quins and then you never know what happens with injuries or he could play himself into a shot of starting at No. 10 for England - then you can only see England's attack getting better. 

"But he has incredible competition in Fin Smith, who holds the shirt at the minute, and George Ford. But there is definitely a world where England will use all three this year."

Quins start the 2026/27 season on Friday, September 25 against Bath, live with TNT Sports on HBO Max.

They will be aiming to improve on last season when they finished in ninth in the table, 32 points behind fourth-placed Leicester Tigers.

As well as Smith, Care has revealed another Quins player who he has "high hopes" for in the upcoming campaign.

"There are some very good scrum-halves in the league at the moment but Lucas Friday is one to watch," said Care.

"If he can get hands on that No. 9 shirt at Quins playing with the tempo he can play at and the composure he has already shown as a young kid, I have high hopes for him this season."

Care also made his pick for best scrum-half in the league, going for Tomos Williams, who has signed for Saracens, ahead of Northampton Saints star Alex Mitchell.

"Tomos Williams does stuff that other scrum-halves don't do or don't dare to do," said Care.

"I love the fact he backs himself and the no-look passes and offloads are incredible. He is joining a new team so it might take a few weeks to get bedded in and to work out how he links up with the likes of [Maro] Itoje, [Owen] Farrell and [Elliot] Daly, but I think Sarries are dangerous this year and a big reason for that is because they have signed him. He might be the missing link they have needed for the last few years. 

"There's Alex Mitchell and Archie McParland at Saints, who are so similar it's scary, but so brilliant. Lucas Friday is probably watching Archie McParland's trajectory from last year and saying he wants to show what he can do. 

"Ben Spencer is the elder statesman of the league and has won most out of anybody in the league and knows how to win big trophies. 

"And Jack van Poortvliet, who I have always been a massive fan of since he burst onto the scene. He had a horrific injury period over the last couple of years but grabbed that No. 9 shirt in the summer and said he wants it. It is fascinating to see who gets the nod for England."

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