ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

An understandable explanation as to why flyhalf Marcus Smith was in the scrum last weekend

BY Grant Constable  ·  Thursday Sep 3, 2020

Harlequins players Marcus Smith and Will Evans, as well as head coach Paul Gustard, have discussed the brief positional switch that occurred in their match with Northampton Saints on Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Defending their own line in the dying minutes of the match, fly-half Smith packed down at blindside flanker, with Evans going the opposite direction to defend the No10 channel, a ploy that paid off.

Smith explained in a video this week the reasoning behind that decision, saying: “We saw in the week [Northampton] like sending Naiyaravoro at the fly-half, so Gussy being Gussy thought outside the box and found a way to exploit it as a positive opportunity.”

Gustard further expounded the rationale behind such a decision, where Evans won a turnover a few phases later. He said: “We felt having Will Evans there was like a Scud missile taking away the knees of the attacker.

WATCH: Hilarious footage of wing Jonny May trying to scrum goes viral

“The pleasing thing was that Northampton recognised we made a change and in doing so they then made a change of their play and actually bypassed Big T (Naiyaravoro).

“We actually manipulated the play that Northampton were going to play.”

Such a tactic adopted by Quins is becoming increasingly common in the game, where forwards and backs switch roles at the set piece.

It has never been uncommon to see a fly-half drop to the back field when defending a lineout or scrum, allowing a more robust teammate in the backline to fill the channel, but as backs like Naiyaravoro have become increasingly regular, players from the pack are perhaps the most effective ones to nullify such a threat.

ADVERTISEMENT

Evans himself said “you can’t be rigid in rugby, there are always ways you can get around certain situations,” succinctly summarising how players and coaches must now be malleable in their approach.

Smith even described the coaching he had received in the week from scrum coach Adam Jones, which suggests that may not be the last time they deploy such a plan.

Related Articles

  • 37 WEEKS AGO

    Danny care binned for high tackle on Courtney...

  • 37 WEEKS AGO

    Wild start at Twickenham as Quins pull off...

  • 40 WEEKS AGO

    Tickets now on sale as World XV set to face...



ADVERTISEMENT

Great Tries

  • 14 HOURS AGO

    Flying frenchman scores tremendous try for Toulon

  • 1 DAY AGO

    Young England hopeful continues to impress with double against Stade Français

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Full throttle Premiership final rematch ends in heartache

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Santiago Carreras scores a blinder in front of thrilled Kingsholm crowd

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    Fans in awe as Kildunne finishes off STUNNING team try

View All

Big Hits & Dirty Play

  • 7 WEEKS AGO

    Wallabies wunderkind Sua'ali' and Scotland captain Tuipulotu clash

  • 8 WEEKS AGO

    Ireland 'steal' Argentina's opening try as debate rages

  • 10 WEEKS AGO

    WATCH: The biggest hit from week one of the Autumn Nations Series

  • 13 WEEKS AGO

    'Cheap shot' from Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints causing a stir online

  • 13 WEEKS AGO

    Wild moment leads to all in brawl during Welsh derby between Cardiff and Scarlets

View All

See It To Believe It

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Santiago Carreras scores a blinder in front of thrilled Kingsholm crowd

  • 2 WEEKS AGO

    Fans in awe as Kildunne finishes off STUNNING team try

  • 5 WEEKS AGO

    Supporters can't believe Saracens Sharp's UNBELIEVABLE finish

  • 9 WEEKS AGO

    Fans in awe as Joyce finishes ‘impossible’ solo try

  • 12 WEEKS AGO

    Insane moment as french backrow waves off medic and smokes Ange Capuozzo

View All

Funnies

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Nightmare blunder from Exeter winger as try goes wanting

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    'A dog with a mallet up its arse could’ve written Johnny’s book' Donnacha O'Callaghan

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    ‘The knee slide was too much’ - Ben Earl reflects on THAT viral moment

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major makes big claim about rugby

  • 9 WEEKS AGO

    “Put that in the book” - Rieko Ioane’s explosive post reignites feud with Sexton

View All

Amateur

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Nightmare blunder from Exeter winger as try goes wanting

  • 1 WEEK AGO

    Santiago Carreras scores a blinder in front of thrilled Kingsholm crowd

  • 105 WEEKS AGO

    You Won’t See Many Better Than This Silky-Smooth Try From Llandovery RFC

  • 105 WEEKS AGO

    Incredible Scenes As Caldy RFC Hand Ealing First Championship Defeat Of The Season

  • 128 WEEKS AGO

    Dubious Score Decides Result Of Rugby's Biggest Schools Fixture

View All

Player Features

  • 3 WEEKS AGO

    RugbyDump's top five backrows in 2024

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    ‘The knee slide was too much’ - Ben Earl reflects on THAT viral moment

  • 4 WEEKS AGO

    Marcus Smith makes big call on his future

  • 7 WEEKS AGO

    'Eligible for England' - Fans react to South African star's contract announcement

  • 8 WEEKS AGO

    The 19-year-old named the 'future' of English rugby after win against Australia A

View All