Smith: I’ve toughened up and put edge to my game
TEENAGE protégé Marcus Smith believes the hard-nosed edge gained during a remarkable 18 months at the Premiership coalface with Harlequins could yet provide his platform for a “lifechanging experience” at this year’s Rugby World Cup.
Dropped from the England squad by boss Eddie Jones ahead of the November internationals, Smith, who turns 20 next month, has refused to allow that disappointment to cloud his task of steering Quins back into the upper echelons of English rugby.
In doing so, he has now racked up 33 Premiership appearances before his 20th birthday – a record that surpasses the achievements of Owen Farrell, George Ford and Ben Youngs and will leave him just three behind England hero Jonny Wilkinson.
Smith, a smiling assassin who kicks once a week with Wilkinson, warns Farrell, Ford and the everhopeful Danny Cipriani not to dismiss his challenge as he ramps-up his bid for a first Red Rose cap. Smith told The Rugby
Paper: “It’s every kid’s dream to play for England and the World Cup could be a life-changing experience for me and my family, but I’ve just got to focus on my performances for Quins, play with a smile on my face and see if Eddie contacts me. Last season, I was a little bit like a cat in the headlights.
“I enjoyed every minute and John Kingston and Quins gave me a fantastic opportunity to develop as a player and a person, but now I’m trying to develop another, harder edge to my game.
“It’s around game-management aspects, about being in control and my body language around the team and how I can lift people when things aren’t going so well. I’ve been developing that side so that I can add some other strings to my bow.
“I’m a year older and a bit more experienced at Quins and know the guys a lot better. I’m learning how to get the best out of the different individuals – backs and forwards – and after the ups and downs of last year, I’m taking things forward again.”
Smith added: “There’s a lot more discipline at Quins this season and Paul Gustard wants a lot of enthusiasm in what we do. He wants pride in our defensive line, upset when we concede penalties and points and he’s given us lots of license in attack as well. We’re at our best when there’s a good buzz about us and the boys are working hard every day to try and establish ourselves in the top four, where we feel this club belongs.
“I’ve got a bit more of an edge about my game this season but I’m also still playing with a smile on my face, which is when I’m at my very best.”
After being summoned to the England squad in 2017 as an ‘apprentice’ and remaining part of that setup for a year, Smith found himself on England U20s duty last summer, rather than touring South Africa, before being discarded altogether.
“Obviously it was disappointing not to be involved,” Smith said. “Eddie told me his reasons why and the things I needed to improve upon to get an opportunity, so I’ve taken that in my stride and am trying to develop all the skills he wants to see.
“Eddie gave me a massive opportunity last year to learn off guys like Farrell, Ford and Cipriani who’ve been at the top of the English game for a while. That put me in good stead and I’m trying to really push forward now going into this year.
“Eddie wants me to back myself and he wants the basics done well – catch, pass, running straight and defence, making sure I’ve got my one-on-one tackles made and get things moving smoothly with the ball in hand.
“I implemented a lot of things into my daily routine in 2018 to improve myself as a player and a person and I’m getting superb guidance from Nick Evans and Mark Mapletoft, our coaches at Quins, and the work I’m doing with Jonny Wilkinson.
“Jonny was a role model when I was a kid and he’s still a role model now, so it’s great to experience training with him and the best advice he’s been giving me is to enjoy every minute because you never know when all of this is going to end.”
Smith knows his best chance of finding a route back into England’s plans will come through winning silverware under Gustard at Harlequins.
Well placed in the Premiership, Quins resume their Challenge Cup campaign against Grenoble this weekend, with Smith adding: “Gussy’s brought a winning mindset and lifting the Challenge Cup is a massive target for us this season.
“We want to build momentum through that tournament, do well in the Premiership and, hopefully, win both at the end of the season.
“That’s our attitude – you can’t stay in the past, you can only shape the future.”