'I've been learning off him as well' - Marcus Smith praises young star following Autumn Nations Series

It was a mixed Autumn Nations Series for England this year. On the surface, one win in four matches doesn’t look too fantastic for the one-time World Cup winners, but perhaps the results are immaterial compared to the development of a squad rebuilding.

Expectations have heightened since last year’s World Cup when England fell in the dying minutes of the semi-final to eventual winners South Africa. They arguably over-performed in that competition, so combine this with some excellent performances in the 2024 Six Nations, and many would believe that England should once again be world beaters.

Smith on Smith 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/upUoH0r1wp

— Jack Tunney (@JackTunneyRugby) November 29, 2024

The fact is, however, that success takes time. England’s summer and autumn internationals were unsuccessful in terms of results, but could still be viewed as a success due to the continued embedding of youthful players such as Chandler Cunningham-South and Fin Baxter.

By giving these players regular game time at this stage of a World Cup cycle, the idea is that Steve Borthwick’s side will be at their cohesive peak come 2027.

So what about these young players, how are they settling in? Well, we got Marcus Smith’s thoughts on his slightly younger namesake also vying for the number ten position, Fin Smith.

Despite getting limited game time during the series, Marcus was very impressed with his international teammate, both on the training field and during his time on the field.

“He is an excellent player, he makes good decisions at the line, he’s brave to throw the ball on attacking plays, and in defence he puts his body on the line for the boys”, said the Quins star.

No longer the youngest ten in the squad and with 40 caps to his name, Marcus almost has a responsibility to help guide the younger Fin Smith through the challenging international landscape, just like he experienced with George Ford and Owen Farrell.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege to be working with Fin and George. George is constantly full of advice for me and is willing to help both Fin and I.

“Obviously Fin being younger than me I try to help him if he needs help, but he doesn’t really need it to be honest,

“But if he ever has any questions, I’m always willing to help”, Marcus said, referencing his own experience as a youthful flyhalf in the squad.

Always respectful in his interviews, Marcus remained incredibly humble in his assessment of the Northampton Saints star, adding:

“Finn’s a lot more confident than I was (as a young ten), so he’s been brilliant in camp and I’ve been learning off him as well.”