England v Japan: Marcus Smith getting ‘better and better’

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England v Japan: Marcus Smith getting ‘better and better’

Fly-half Marcus Smith is improving the way he dovetails with the rest of England’s *******, says assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge.

Smith, 25, has been one of England’s standout performers in three Autumn Nations Series defeats against New Zealand, Australia and South *******.

However, despite Smith’s creativity in ******* and accuracy from the kicking tee, England are still on their worst run since 2018 after five straight defeats.

“I have found Marcus really open to discussions about the game,” Strawbridge told BBC Sport.

“He is getting better and better at having a deeper understanding of the game and his role in it.”

Since his Premiership debut for Harlequins as an 18-year-old, regular eye-catching performances left many calling for Smith to be England’s long-term option at fly-half.

Now capped 38 times, he has started six Tests in a row for the first time since 2022, but five have resulted in defeats – four of which came down to the final play.

England’s opening try on Saturday against South ******* came when Smith opted against a drop-goal, darted to the blindside and set up Ollie Sleightholme for a run into the corner.

Strawbridge says that England’s ******* allows for such improvisation, and is also confident Smith’s game management is improving.

“In some environments I have been in we put all the pressure on the 10 like a quarterback in ********* Football – they make all the decisions, the calls and the plays. That isn’t the case here,” he added.

“We are spreading the decision-making and we are trying to sharpen that edge. Marcus’ decisions are within that structure.”

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