Wales legend slams Steve Borthwick’s ‘bizarre’ calls as Marcus Smith needs to close out games for England at fly-half
Wales legend Jonathan Davies believes England need to stick with Marcus Smith at fly-half for full game.
Jonathan Davies has urged Steve Borthwick to stop tinkering and allow Marcus Smith to close out a game as England playmaker.
Borthwick names his team tomorrow to face South Africa desperately needing victory to convince the nation he remains the best man for the job.
England have dropped to seventh in the world rankings, lost six of their last eight games and coughed up wins with last-gasp blunders in both their autumn Tests.
Leaky defence
Their defensive system is all at sea, two key coaches have quit and with Ireland and France first up for them in the Six Nations, the heat is on ahead of the world champions’ visit.
How Borthwick could use the sort of performance which beat the Springboks in 2021 – or that dismantled Ireland on the same turf earlier this year.
Those are the standout displays by England in the past three years and have one thing in common. Each win was secured with a last-minute kick by Smith.
Which brings us to the past two weekends in which Borthwick has removed Smith from the playmaker number 10 slot after an hour despite him being England’s standout attacking presence.
“Really can’t believe Borthwick moves Smith from 10 in such a tight game,” Wales fly-half legend Davies tweeted after the Harlequins star was shifted out of position to full-back to make room for George Ford. “International games are all about big decisions.”
Seven days previously Smith was taken off the field completely, after which England gave up an eight-point lead, Ford missing two late kicks at the sticks as the All Blacks escaped to victory.
Cross-code great Davies knows a thing or two about playing the ‘quarterback’ role at the top level, both in union and league, and he is mystified by what he is seeing.
“I don’t know why you need to change people at set times, especially when the half-backs are doing well,” he says. “You’re changing two positions (moving Smith to full-back). Why did Borthwick do it?
“Smith was looking the most threatening England player. He was controlling the game. Everything was going through him. Every time he got the ball something happened.
“I wouldn’t have been happy being moved if I was Marcus Smith. I just find it bizarre why you would change him when he’s one of your better players.”
Davies believes England have the physicality to trouble a Springbok team with a day less recovery time than England to prepare.
But he adds: “International rugby is about making big calls at the right times – on and off the field – and I don’t think Borthwick had them right the last couple of times.
“I thought that in the New Zealand game and I watched [Australia] and thought ‘what is he doing, why is he taking him off again?’ It’s like this Eddie Jones thing with ‘finishers’. What a load of b***ocks that is.
Unnecessary changes
“If you’re a fly-half doing a job, unless there are injury reasons, you want to finish it yourself. Why make the changes unless they’re absolutely necessary.”
With former Quins coach Jerry Flannery now in charge of South Africa’s defence, some fear his inside knowledge, accrued over four years at the Stoop, could nullify Smith’s influence.
Davies says: “Marcus is a quality player now. He’s still a little bit raw and he tries to do a few things maybe he shouldn’t do. That’s the way he is.
“Finn Russell was the same. Finn used to throw passes when he was on the back foot and under pressure. You learn through experience. And the only way Marcus is going to get experience of closing a game down is by staying on.”
READ MORE: How to watch England v Springboks at Twickenham: TV channel, live stream, kick-off time
