England: Time for Joe Marchant to ‘push on’ and nail down starting spot

Dylan Coetzee

Antoine Dupont and Joe Marchant during the match between France and England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on March 19, 2022. Photo by Eliot Blondet / ABACAPRESS.COM

Harlequins attack coach Nick Evans believed Joe Marchant showed promise in the final game of the Six Nations against France and continued his development as a player.

Marchant has shown significant growth during England’s poor Six Nations campaign that saw Eddie Jones men finish third.

Good performance

The 25-year-old showed his quality in their 25-13 loss to Grand Slam champions France in both defence and attack.

“Joe has got his foot in the door, which is important for him now to push on and really make sure that starting position in the England team is nailed on,” Evans said.

“He was arguably one of the players of the game in that French game. He did exceptionally well, he looked dangerous in attack and defensively he looked really solid.”

Evans argues that Marchant deserves an extended run in the England squad and noted that the utility back could continue to get better and better.

Part of Marchant’s good run of form is how he has matured in recent years, which has allowed him to be more decisive and express himself.

“If March plays well, it is hard to keep him out,” Evans added. “How do you justify it if he has been playing well for England and his club?

“Joe has got a really high ceiling. He’s a big confidence player and we have spoken to him about just being decisive and not getting bogged down in structure. If you are in space, stay in space. And if you see space, just attack the space.

“He has matured over the last couple of years. It has allowed him to be a lot more expressive and he is reaping the rewards.”

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