Steve Barthwick’s decision to drop Marcus Smith to the bench for Sunday’s match with Italy will get a lot of media coverage before the weekend.
I understand that because of the status that Marcus has in English rugby as probably the best player in the country and the most high level.
But, if you delete all the outside noise and look at the situation objectively, then it is a movement that makes sense.
Let’s be honest. If we call it as we see it, it is clear that Marcus is not an international great rear. What it is is a world class n ° 10 which is so good in certain areas that it has the capacity to play 15 if necessary.
There is a big difference between the two.
I’m sorry for Marcus. It cannot be easy for him. He clearly wants to play at n ° 10, but he saw his position move to these six nations.
Steve Barthwick’s decision to drop Marcus Smith is objectively a decision that makes sense
Smith was unhappy George Furbank’s injury led him to move to 15 in a rejig
While Marcus Smith offers a more attacker intention, he has been targeted by the sides in the air
Again, if we are honest, this situation would not have arrived if George Furbank had been in good shape for this championship. It is the back of England in the first choice and if he had not been injured, I am sure he would have started with Marcus at n ° 10. It would not have mean space for the end of Smith.
But with Furbank, Barthwick had to be rejoiced. England has won its last two games with the two Smiths together – Marcus at 15 and end at 10 years.
Despite these victories, Barthwick felt the need to change it. Marcus was behind to provide more attack intention than Freddie Steward.
It didn’t quite work. Marcus has been targeted by the sides in the air and among the whole spicy reaction, one thing that has been missed is that Italy is a team that gives a lot of kicks to compete. Barthwick would have known it. And that probably explains why Elliot Daly entered, as well as the fact that he was very good on the bench in these six nations so far.
What will frustrate Marcus is that in the fall, I thought he was the best player in England and that he was half the fly for these matches.
England lost three games in the foreground of the southern hemisphere teams with narrow margins. But they did it not because of Marcus.
In fact, if it had not been for him who dragged England in these games, the scores would have been much worse. Obviously, Marcus will be very, very disappointed.
But it will be back and it seems to me quite clear that the debate of England no 10 will work and run for some time now. The other big call from England to Italy is to drop Henry Slade completely.
Smith will be frustrated to have been the best player in England halfway
Henry Slade was completely abandoned in another big call made by Barthwick in front of Italy
Fraser Dingwall enters the side of Ollie Lawrence to rhyme in England defensively
My former Northampton teammate, Fraser Dingwall, came alongside Ollie Lawrence in the center. Again, I can understand this decision, as tall as that.
I still think that England is extremely vulnerable defensively in the 13 channels and Barthwick wanted to devote it against Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello.
Make no mistake, Barthwick has made important selection decisions. And as always as an international coach, he will live and die by them.
But I can see where it comes from. England must now win and win well.
If they don’t and Marcus kicks the bench, there could be problems!