Smith outwits Ford as England fly-halves face off for Farrell's role

01 December 2023 , 21:39

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Marcus Smith enjoyed the better of his fly-half battle with George Ford

Marcus Smith drew first blood in the battle with the man he'll be opposing for Owen Farrell's England shirt on Friday night at the Stoop.

Harlequins saw off table-toppers Sale Sharks on a freezing cold night in Twickenham with the mercurial fly-half producing a moment of brilliance in the opening minutes of the second half to put the hosts in control. His fast feet broke the Sale defensive line and a neat offload saw Danny Care race over.

Smith and George Ford, who lined up opposite each other, both present very different options for England as fly-halves. But where Smith certainly excelled at his game, Ford failed to make a mark against the man who will be gunning for his role.

Ford deputised for Farrell during the Rugby World Cup and, coupled with his history with Steve Borthwick, would appear the favourite to start at No.10 come the Six Nations. Quins star Smith is hot on his heels though and gave yet another reminder, should people need one, of the running threat he offers ball in hand.

A neat step, which he showed during his time as a full-back for England, was the moment that began to take the game away from Sale on route to a 36-3 win. Smith's moments of individual brilliance are nothing new to those who watch him weekly at club level, but the constant frustration is his failure to replicate that form across the road at Twickenham.

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Whether under Borthwick or before that Eddie Jones, Smith has not been the diamond he is for his club. On form like this though, there must surely be a place for such brilliance.

Sale's No 10 endured a frustrating night at the Stoop

Ford, a week on from kicking the winning penalty against Bath, was unable to dictate his attack like we've seen previously. His trump card with England though is that he's proven time and time again that the player you see excel at club level does likewise for his country. His performance against Argentina in England's World Cup opener was further proof.

With the Sale man there is this sense of 'you know what you'll get' in a way you don't with Smith, who at international level is certainly a rough diamond. The full-back experiment may become something more permanent should Borthwick be determined to include a player of Smith's individual class.

England are not blessed with game breakers and Smith is one of the few they have in their ranks. His imagination was on constant show as Ford watched his side land few punches.

Smith was announced as the player of the match late on, having a smile to himself as he sat on the bench with the camera panning to him. The Quins man won this battle, the war though rages on ahead of this spring when England will adopt a new look and a new dynamic minus Farrell.

Samuel Meade