Marcus Smith ‘on another level’ after starring role for Harlequins in Big Game 15
Marcus Smith after Harlequins' Premiership victory over Gloucester in 2023.
Fly-half Marcus Smith produced a show for the huge crowd at Twickenham on Saturday and was hailed by both teams following his performance.
Harlequins were unsurprisingly effusive with their praise for his display, but their opponents, Gloucester, were also hugely impressed by the playmaker.
Smith had his troubles off the kicking tee but was pretty much spot on in every other department as the Londoners defeated the Cherry and Whites 32-26 at the home of English rugby.
Quins still sit outside the play-off places in sixth position but are just three points off the top of the Premiership in a tightly packed league table.
Smith’s influence
With the pivot playing as well as he is, they will be a tough team to beat when the competition reaches its latter stages.
“These are the games Marcus wants to play in. The bigger the game, the better the performance you get from this lad,” England and Quins team-mate Danny Care told TNT Sports.
“I’ve been blown away for the last five years playing with him. He gets better and better.
“He’s still eager to learn, he’s still eager to get better, and whether it’s in a Harlequin shirt or an England shirt, you will get 100% from Marcus every time.”
Care combined superbly with Smith throughout their time on the field and they were joined in the crucial 8-9-10 combination by Alex Dombrandt.
The number eight produced a statement performance ahead of the Six Nations, getting the better of Gloucester’s Zach Mercer.
Dombrandt’s try saw him get to the ball ahead of Mercer before handing off his opponent and sprinting over the line.
It came via Care’s kick assist as the two half-backs showed plenty of variety during the encounter at Twickenham.
Smith was not just about the fancy stuff on attack, with his game-management continuing to improve as he matures as a fly-half.
“When he’s (Smith) kicking the corners and putting in 50-22s, turning the opposition and transferring pressure on to them as a pack of forwards, it makes our job easier,” Dombrandt said.
“He was excellent and keeps growing from week to week as a leader and player.”
Gloucester’s view
Harlequins condemned Gloucester to their eighth league defeat of the campaign in what has been a dreadful season for the West Countrymen so far.
They have won just two of their matches in the Premiership in 2023/24 but, to their credit, they at least put up a fight against the 2021 champions.
Their head coach, George Skivington, was left to rue the display of Smith with the playmaker the decisive factor in the result.
“Marcus Smith was on another level to be fair,” Skivington said.
“That’s to take nothing away from Quins as a team, I thought they were very good, but Marcus Smith showed his credentials and we gave him a bit too much wiggle room.”
