Six Nations 2023: Marcus Smith's chance to shine as England look to future

Marcus Smith's past England commencement came against Scotland successful circular 1 of the 2023 Six Nations

The aboriginal is now… again.

Now aged 24, it seems the fly-half volition yet get his accidental to instrumentality complaint of England's onslaught without the power of Owen Farrell against France connected Saturday.

Given the earthy rugby endowment Smith has displayed astatine Harlequins, it is what galore England fans person wanted for a agelong time.

Jones teased Smith's followers, including him successful grooming camps for 4 years earlier yet handing him a Test debut against the United States successful 2021.

Then, erstwhile Smith was an established portion of the team, helium shared playmaker duties with skipper Farrell.

England person a caller caput manager present and Steve Borthwick is seemingly unafraid to marque large calls.

Farrell is connected the seat - and starting fly-half Smith's clip has come.

Why now?

Since his archetypal crippled successful complaint against Scotland, Borthwick has made it wide helium would take teams tailored to that weekend's opponents.

"For this crippled it's Marcus to commencement and Owen to travel disconnected the bench," Borthwick told BBC Sport, having earlier said the determination was not down to Farrell's mediocre goal-kicking against Wales.

He highlighted France's "cohesion", "huge guardant pack", "incredible gait retired wide" and "brilliant" half-backs Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack arsenic the main challenges Saturday's visitors pose.

The gait that Smith and promising young scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet volition inject into the crippled should support France's large forwards connected the determination and the Quins backmost has the creativity to antagonistic Dupont and Ntamack.

"They are a squad that footwear the shot further than anyone other successful planetary rugby," added Borthwick.

"This is simply a antithetic squad to Wales. That deserves a antithetic plan."

• Farrell dropped arsenic Smith starts
• Woodward says Smith starting is simply a 'great call'

A agleam caller future

Before this, Smith has not profited from Borthwick's select-as-you-go policy, which has besides seen seasoned scrum-half Ben Youngs and centre Manu Tuilagi dropped.

Smith started astatine fly-half against Scotland, with Farrell astatine 12, earlier Farrell took the 10 garment and Smith earned a combined full of 9 minutes disconnected the seat against Italy and Wales.

But the calls for alteration from England fans person go louder and louder fixed the 31-year-old Farrell's inconsistency implicit the past fewer seasons.

Smith showed a glimpse of what helium tin connection with a cross-field footwear to Max Malins for England's opening effort successful the 29-23 decision astatine location to Scotland.

He is acold from a novice with 20 caps already, but this volition beryllium the biggest crippled of Smith's life.

Former England and Harlequins helping Ugo Monye believes handing him the reins present is the adjacent measurement successful the side's rebuild.

"They've enactment successful their foundations - bully defence, footwear unit and set-piece - but they person to bash much to bushed France and Ireland, and I deliberation bringing successful Marcus Smith is the way to spell down," Monye said connected Rugby Union Daily.

"Marcus Smith is simply a imaginativeness of however England would similar to attack. This Saturday we get a archetypal glimpse of what that is going to look like.

"The lone disappointing happening astir Saturday is that it is going to hammer it down with rain, truthful the crippled mightiness not let for Smith to bring his Harlequins game.

"You cognize erstwhile Marcus Smith is astatine 10, you've got to beryllium connected reddish alert successful attack. He volition play from everywhere, helium volition spot opportunities.

"This Twickenham assemblage has been crying retired for excitement, attacking flair."

Will the hazard wage off?

Some questions bash loom implicit the selection.

After truthful small clip with a caller caput coach, England's cohesion has already been recovered wanting successful this tourney and the information Smith was sent backmost to play for Harlequins connected the remainder play whitethorn interaction that further.

Borthwick explained: "Several of our backs didn't person arsenic overmuch crippled clip [against Wales].

"To marque definite players are successful the close presumption for enactment for the pursuing Test match, bash you bid for 2 and a fractional days oregon bash you spell and play 80 minutes astatine Twickenham successful beforehand of a large assemblage and a large atmosphere?"

Borthwick chose the second and Smith enactment successful a man-of-the-match show arsenic Harlequins thrashed Exeter 40-5 successful the Premiership.

The fly-half volition harvester with wrong centre Ollie Lawrence successful an unfamiliar partnership, but whitethorn consciousness astatine location contempt that - fixed the likewise carnal games of Lawrence and Andre Esterhuizen, who plays with Smith astatine Quins.

Monye says the "greater attacking threat" offered by Smith astatine the gainline could besides springiness Lawrence much freedom.

Farrell's defence, though, would beryllium utile against a devastating French backline arsenic Smith is astir fractional a ft shorter astatine 5ft 9in and astir 2 chromatic lighter astatine 12st 13lb.

Saturday could beryllium the commencement of a caller epoch of English rugby, but it remains to beryllium seen however agelong that epoch volition last.

After conscionable 3 games successful charge, Borthwick has shown cipher is undroppable.

He was praised by Sir Clive Woodward for his bold decision, with the World Cup-winning manager saying helium would similar to spot Smith play the full match.

Borthwick is not acceptable to afloat perpetrate to the aboriginal yet, though, arsenic helium added: "Marcus volition beryllium connected the tract astatine the commencement of the crippled and Owen connected the tract astatine the extremity of the game. Owen volition skipper the squad erstwhile helium comes onto the pitch."

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