Match: Marcus Smith shines in Italy

To sleep comfortably on the couch, one Sunday afternoon in February, Italy-England was nothing short of sophomore … England, who were abused and beaten in Scotland (20-17) last week, won easily with five tries and one attempt. Attack bonus (33-0) without raising questions raised after Murrayfield defeat. But those who oppose sleep should not regret it in the end. Because on Sunday, on the lawn of the Olympic field, they saw a very handsome athlete, undoubtedly a very bright future.

Already very comfortable last week, Marcus Smith (23 years old; 7 caps) did it again. Well, not much, if not nothing, but it was an international sport, with a heavy English shirt to wear, with the pressure of not falling into the net, and the suspicion that it was non-existent. Owen Farrell’s, set for the full match, is not inevitable.

Impressive stats

Marcus Smith put on a fine display in which he hit six defenders (Wilkinson has only excelled as an English opener since 2002), the 87-meter run, scoring a new attempt (10th) in the competition after school one-two with Smart. There are figures that can impress such an inexperienced player, and there is also the visual impression that he conducts operations easily. This pass came from his hands on Elliott Daly’s (45th) test. There is something different about a Harlequin event, a leadership, a light …

We have seen him constantly talking and being heard among his family. Last week, Eddie Jones replaced him on the wrist when the team took a 17-10 lead. When George Ford arrived against Italy, the coach left him on the lawn. Joe Mersant just came out, with Smith in the middle, slipping next to Henry Slade. Did Eddie Jones understand the lesson? The best players, we leave them on the field.