Richie Mo’unga warns England about ‘biggest challenge’ of getting best out of ‘really complete’ Marcus Smith
England fly-half Marcus Smith and All Blacks great Richie Mo'unga.
Richie Mo’unga has praised the talents of Marcus Smith following his performances in the recent series against the All Blacks, but warned England about putting the shackles on.
The 25-year-old has sat behind Owen Farrell and George Ford in the fly-half pecking order but, after the former stepped back from Test rugby and the latter picked up an injury, the Harlequins star was handed the reins for the mid-year Tests.
Smith impressed against Japan and then took that form to New Zealand and produced a particularly exceptional display in the second match against the All Blacks at Eden Park.
Creativity
He created two tries with superb cross-field kicks and ran the game superbly, especially in the first half.
Although England eventually fell to a 24-17 defeat in that Auckland clash, it was comfortably Smith’s best Test performance.
It certainly impressed Mo’unga, who discussed what part of the Englishman’s game he enjoys the most.
“He’s just a real exciting player. You can’t deny the fact that he has probably got some of the best footwork in the game,” he told The Good, The Bad & The Rugby Australia & New Zealand podcast.
“The thing I like about him the most is his turn of pace, his acceleration to get out of situations, but he’s really complete. He’s a real big defensive player too; he’s either scoring them or he’s saving tries.”
England’s head coach Steve Borthwick generally prefers a conservative approach, which many believe takes away Smith’s greatest strength.
However, they have played more expansively in 2024 and subsequently the Quins playmaker has started to thrive in the international arena.
The Red Rose are still slightly more circumspect than some of their rivals, though, and Mo’unga is concerned that their style of play may hamper his progress.
Finding a balance
“I guess in a team like England, where maybe his abilities might get put in a box a little because of what’s around him, that will be the biggest challenge,” he added.
“How can you get the best out of Marcus Smith? It might be out of what they’re trying to do as a team, so there’s going to have to be a balance of where they want to get to.
“You watch him with Harlequins and he’s goosey stepping, he’s flick passing, and that’s the dangerous Marcus Smith teams will be coming up against if he does that for England.”
