Marcus Smith has been backed to deliver on the biggest night of his career after England gambled by picking the Harlequins magician at full-back for Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.
Smith will make only his second professional start in the number 15 jersey and, while he has also banked a number of influential cameos as a replacement, he remains a converted fly-half who is unproven in the position at the highest level.
England believe he will continue to thrive in his new role, providing a cutting edge in attack and a second ball-playing option, and have sacrificed the ultra dependable Freddie Steward to accommodate him.
Another seismic selection sees Owen Farrell replace George Ford at fly-half even though the Sale ringmaster has excelled at the World Cup, delivering man-of-the-match displays against Argentina and Japan.
All eyes will be on Smith, however, in the hope that he can reproduce the fireworks seen in the group match against Chile when he ran in two tries.
Harlequins team-mate Joe Marler has known the 24-year-old since he arrived at Twickenham Stoop as a teenager and quickly realised he was a special talent.
“Marcus is a big-match player. I’m really happy for him to get his opportunity to start again in a World Cup. He’ll thrive,” Marler said.
“He’s shown it off the bench in the moments we’ve needed him and I hope he can do that from the start.
“At the club he was confident early on, even to the point where I turn around and say ‘I’m going to have to say something to this guy, he’s gobbing off at me’. I’ve been at the club 10 years and he’s gobbing off at me.
“I was like ‘he’s a jumped up, entitled, little, private school kid’. And then when you realise how good he is at rugby and why he’s doing what he’s doing, I was like ‘I’m going to listen to him because he’s going to get us into positions where we can win more rugby games because he knows what he’s talking about’.
“He’s done it consistently at club level and now it’s about now doing it consistently at international level. What better place to do that than starting in the quarter-final?”
Farrell will dovetail with Smith in attack with the pair each operating at first and second receiver at different times. England’s captain has noted his team-mate’s appetite to take on the opposition.
“I’m impressed with how much Marcus wants to get after it – how much he wants the ball, how much he wants to make a difference,” Farrell said.
“From what I’ve seen so far the bigger the occasion, the more he wants to do that. It’s not like Marcus hasn’t played in big games – he’s won the Premierships.
“He wants to have a big impact on the game and so far he’s been doing that. I see it being no different this weekend.”
England field eight survivors from the starting XV that took on South Africa in the World Cup final four years ago and it could be a final appearance for several members of Borthwick’s squad – providing additional motivation against Fiji.
“There are definitely a number of us that won’t play for England again after this tournament,” Marler said.
“We have been together a number of years, we have built friendships and bonds. We want to give this our all and finish on a high.
“You never know when your last game is. You’ve got to make the most of what you can.”
Brook labelled as 'best in the world' by England centurion Root
Joe Root lauded Harry Brook as the world's best batter after England completed their series victory away to New Zealand on Sunday.
Ben Stokes' tourists coasted to a 323-run victory in the second Test against New Zealand, sealing an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
It looked like England could be in trouble in Wellington after slipping to 43-4 in the first innings, only for Brook's 123 and 66 from Ollie Pope dragging their side to 280 all out.
Brook now has seven centuries in just 10 Tests away from home, the most by any batter in his first 10 such outings outside of their home country.
Yorkshire and England team-mate Root believes there is no player better than Brook at present.
"Just been a great week, from the position we were in, to then manage to win the game by day three, just shows how well the boys played," Root said.
"That partnership from Popey and Brooky, who is in my eyes the best player in the world at the minute.
"He's got it all, he can absorb pressure and put it back on you. He is destructive against both pace and spin, to manage those conditions exceptionally well and play some great counter-attacking cricket."
Root compiled a 130-ball 106 in the second innings as Stokes' side hammered home their advantage, with Jacob Bethell adding 96, four more than opener Ben Duckett managed.
England great Root now has 36 centuries in Tests, the joint-fifth most by any batter, alongside India's Rahul Dravid.
He brought up three figures with a trademark ramp over New Zealand wicket-keeper Tom Blundell from the bowling of seamer Will O’Rourke.
Root admitted the shot was somewhat pre-meditated, having seen the hosts alter the field.
"It wasn't [at first pre-meditated], and then they brought third man up," Root added.
"I was like it's the new ball, they are more likely to go length than short. It's worth a gamble, it's worth the risk!"
Bethell has proved doubters wrong, claims Stokes
Jacob Bethell has proved his critics wrong with his superb performances with the bat against New Zealand, so says Ben Stokes.
After hitting the winning runs in the first Test, new boy Bethell plundered 96 in the second innings of the second match.
The 21-year-old, who came into the team after Jordan Cox suffered a thumb injury, fell just short of what would have been his first professional century in what is only his 22nd first-class appearance.
And with the decision to place Bethell at three having come under scrutiny before the series started, Stokes feels the youngster has swiftly set about showing just what an exceptional talent he is.
"I'm pretty sure there were a lot of doubters about the role we brought him into for that first Test match," Stokes told BBC Sport.
"You've got a young lad with so much potential and so much talent, why not let him go out there and expose himself to Test cricket at its toughest?
"I was devastated for him to not get that three figures. I said to him: 'It's only four runs, isn't it?'
"His response was: 'Yeah, but it would have been flair if I smacked that through the covers to bring it up.'
"I think he's proved a lot and proved why we rate him so highly."
Stokes does not feel Bethell's performances have provided him with a headache when it comes to selection, though.
"No, I don't see it like that," he said.
"If it hadn't gone well for him in those first two Test matches, that wouldn't have changed anyone's mind in our dressing room of him as a player."
Joe Root plundered his sixth Test century of 2024 in England's second innings, matching the joint-highest total of tons in a calendar year by an England player.
Stokes then took 3-5 with the ball to skittle through New Zealand's tail, after Tom Blundell had offered some resistance for the hosts on Sunday with a brilliant 115.
"In this Test in particular, on day one we were 43 for 4 to be here on the winning side on day three is quite phenomenal," said Stokes.
"We got bowled out in fifty overs (54.5) but we had 270 runs on the board which was a good score on that day one-wicket, and then we obviously had time left with the ball to be able to make some inroads.
"To score 270 and take five wickets at the end of day one really set this game up.
"We back ourselves to be able to go out there and change games and we feel that there needs to be a bit of impetus put into the game, particularly with the bat.
"As a bowler you want to be able to plonk it on a length and plonk it onto the top of off stump over and over again. But sometimes when a batter is brave enough to take you on and knock you off your length, it's very hard to commit to still doing that."
New Zealand captain Tom Latham, meanwhile, credited England's dominant display, and handed particular praise to Harry Brook, who scored 123 in the first innings and 55 in the second.
"It's the pressure they are able to put you under, especially with the bat," said Latham.
"I think on day one it was offering enough for our bowlers and the way Harry played in that innings was outstanding.
"Credit where it's due. The way he played puts you under pressure from ball one. He played some incredible shots that you don't necessarily see from other teams around the world."
Blundell's ton fruitless as England seal series win
Tom Blundell's scintillating century was not enough for New Zealand as England sealed a series win by wrapping up a 323-run victory inside three days.
England resumed play at Basin Reserve on Sunday on 378-5, with Joe Root on 73.
The tourist's former captain plundered his way to a 36th Test century, which he brought up with a reverse scoop from Will O’Rourke (1-104), who at least gained a measure of revenge when Root edged through to Blundell in the same over when on 106.
Ben Stokes left himself unbeaten on 49 as he declared with England on 427-6, setting New Zealand a daunting 583 to win.
Stokes' decision swiftly paid off, with Devon Conway (0), Kane Williamson (four) and Black Caps skipper Tom Latham (24) sent packing within the first 10 overs.
Brydon Carse (2-53) dismissed Rachin Ravindra (six) in the 14th over, bringing Blundell to the crease.
After being dropped when on a duck, Blundell offered resistance, smashing his way to a fifth Test ton in rapid time, though Daryl Mitchell (32) and Glenn Phillips (16) fell around him.
Four of Blundell's five sixes came from Shoaib Bashir's bowling, but his stand came to an end when he edged the spinner through to Ben Duckett, who palmed the ball up to take the catch at the second attempt.
That England breakthrough came in the 49th over of New Zealand's second innings, and it was game over by midway through the 55th, with Stokes rattling through the hosts' tail to finish with exceptional figures of 3-5, his best in over two years in a Test.
Now 2-0 up in the three-match series, England will aim for a whitewash when the final Test begins in Hamilton next week.
Data Debrief: Root ties for tons
Root has now scored six Test centuries in 2024. No player has ever scored more than six tons for England in one calendar year, with Root himself having previously done so in 2021. Denis Compton - 1947, Michael Vaughan (2002) and Jonny Bairstow (2022) have also struck six hundreds in one year for England.
His efforts helped England claim their biggest win in terms of runs against New Zealand, while this is their first series win in the country since 2008.
The Black Caps, meanwhile, have now lost their last two Tests at Basin Reserve, having previously gone on a seven-match unbeaten run at the venue. It is the first time New Zealand have lost back-to-back matches in the longest format in Wellington since 2010.
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