MARCUS THE PERFECT 10
Farrell expecting big things from fly-half
OWEN FARRELL insists England fans have nothing to worry about with Marcus Smith running the show against Australia.
The young fly-half starts the biggest match of his life this evening when two of the world’s top nations clash at Twickenham.
A week ago Smith, 22, shredded a 14-man Tonga team when he came off the bench.
That apart, his experience in an England shirt is restricted to summer runarounds against minnows USA and Canada.
But England have rearranged their back line to accommodate him. George Ford did not make the squad for the Autumn Tests, Farrell has been denied the No.10 shirt he loves and Manu Tuilagi has now been shunted out onto the wing. And everybody seems to agree the time is right to give him this shot.
Farrell tends not to go overboard on any subject but, on the eve of his 100th international, could not have been more effusive in praise of his new team-mate. “Marcus is a fantastic player who’s been playing unbelievably well and has come in here and put his stamp on it,” the England captain said. “He’s running the show in terms of attack.
“As far as him being himself and getting his game out there on the pitch, people don’t need to worry. He’s got a brilliant head on his shoulders.”
England have won all seven games against Australia under Eddie Jones.
But they face opponents who have beaten world champions South Africa twice this year. “Marcus loves working the game out,” said Farrell. “But probably the most special thing is his ability to unlock a game on his own.
“He has an ability to control a game and his team, but with a sharpness to rip a game open in a blink of an eye.”
Jones has taken his time with Smith, who he first saw play in a schoolboy match in Brighton days before his Japan side caused the biggest shock in World Cup history by beating South Africa. Less than a year later, Jones was in charge of England and invited Smith to join them fresh from an A-level exam.
The 17-year-old did a kicking session with Ford, after which the Leicester star tweeted: “Great to meet you Marcus, hell of a talent, keep working hard mate!”
Five years on, Ford is on the outside looking in.