After the victory of the Calcuta Cup in England, I wrote that Marcus Smith was approaching the time he would have to sit with Steve Borthwick and insist on playing no 10.
Being versatile can count against you as a player and that is clearly what has happened with Smith. I have said it until I am blue in the face: he is a flying medium that can play on his back. That does not mean that it is an international no 15, far from it. That said, I have been happy with him as a full back stop with George Furbank injured. It has been a case of needs.
Smith has done a good job, not a great job, because we cannot expect that, since he is not a specialist, he occupies the position of victories about France and Scotland. So, I was very surprised when I read that they had dropped the bank for Sunday's game with Italy. It is a big call and one with which I do not agree.
Elliot Daly has done the bench well in the last two games and scored the winner against France. But for him to come to Smith is a serious step upside down.
Daly is a good player, but he is 32 years old and has not started for England at 15 in four years. It does not fit this New England team that Borthwick is trying to create. I have no doubt that it will be fine, but with Italy and Wales like the final matches, I expected something that offered more lens in the future based on an attack outside and outside.
Droping Smith and bringing Daly is not an exciting selection in any form or form. It is not one that I understand. The England team for Italy, which also includes Fraser Dingwall in the center with Henry Slade, is not one that would have chosen.
Steve Borthwick has made the big call to release Marcus Smith, one with whom I don't agree
England is lucky enough to have Marcus and end Smith on his team and should play both
End Smith could be the ball player at age 12 that this team needs and allow Marcus to play at 10
I would have kept Smith in its entirety. If Furbank had been fit, Borthwick would probably have had to make a call between Smith or his homonymous fin to 10.
That would have been an equally large but justified call. For me, Marcus still surpasses him on the end, although England is very lucky to have both in his squad. Then, play both!
I do not see any reason to advance why Marcus and End Smith cannot play together at 10 and 12 years, in order to the interior center. He is the ball player at age 12 that this team needs, while he has also shown that his defense is excellent. And Tommy Freeman should be in the outside center next to them. That is an attack background!
The fact that Marcus Smith has been eliminated is one thing. The Daly selection ahead of Freddie Steward is another. Steward must wonder what the hell has happened.
I also like George Hendy, another Northampton player who can enter the mixture in the future in the future. Hendy has a lot of rhythm and executes good attack lines. Max Malins, who is currently injured, is another player who adjusts to the 'All Court' rear mold.
Steward has gone from England's first option to be replaced by Marcus Smith. Then, when they drop it, Daly enters. Slade must be as baffled as the butler.
I have a theory. I saw the second series of Six nations: complete contact In Netflix recently. I did not enjoy it and that is to be educated. Although filmed 12 months ago, something felt very strange about the England camp compared to the other teams.
If I were England coach, I would have been happy to be happy with the way Marcus Smith and Steward were portrayed in the program. They found themselves terribly. It was the opposite of the winning culture that is a previous requirement of any team and simply would not accept it.
Elliot Daly has done well from the bank, but his selection is not one that has the future in mind
Freddie Steward should ask how it has been replaced at 15 by First Smith and then Daly
The messaging of England around Marcus Smith has mixed and tied them in knots
If England fight against Italy, it will be fascinating to see if Smith comes in its entirety or 10
If it were Borthwick, I would like to make a statement of some kind when the opportunity arose. I wonder if that is exactly what has happened here.
The other thing to consider in Marcus Smith is the message that comes out of England's camp on him. It has mixed, to say the least. They have been tied in knots.
Last week, while the team was training in York, the assistant Kevin Sinfield said “it would be a wasted opportunity” if he left Marcus Smith in 15 experiment.
A handful of days later, he is in the bank. Why would Sinfield say that if there was a doubt that Marcus Smith was not going to start against Italy? Everything is quite strange and shows that the training team is far from joining the selection. England was always going to have to play well, but also entertain and defeat Italy this weekend, especially because there were many kicks aimless against Scotland.
But the team selection has exerted a lot of pressure on Borthwick and the players now.
Clearly, England on Twickenham should still overcome the Azzurri comfortably. However, if the team is fighting, it will be fascinating to see what happens.
Will Marcus Smith be brought to full back? Or will the fin in the No 10 replace?
England has gotten into a correct pickup. There are more questions than answers about team team and that is not a good position for an international team to be.