The saga of Marcus Smith has another compelling chapter. Across the last 12 months, the fly-half-cum-full-back-cum-bench-impact-man has been a figure of rich fascination – in this enigmatic England side, he is perhaps the player who most embodies their curate’s egg qualities.
Were it not for a mishap in Girona ahead of last year’s Six Nations, Smith would have begun that campaign as Steve Borthwick’s starting fly half. After his injury opened the door, George Ford seized the shirt, before the veteran’s absence from the tour of New Zealand brought Smith back in. Eight consecutive fly-half starts followed; six games ending in tight English defeats even as their 10, at times, dazzled.
