"i wouldn't have him as a starter" - why england legend mike brown disagrees with marcus smith starting at fullback - ruck

ENGLAND LEGEND MIKE BROWN BELIEVES THAT MARCUS SMITH SHOULD NOT BE STARTING TEST MATCHES AT FULLBACK, AS THE HARLEQUIN HAS ADOPTED THE 15 SHIRT AS A SECONDARY POSITION IN RECENT YEARS. MORE

REGULARLY A FLY HALF WITH ENGLAND, THE LIONS AND HIS LONDON CLUB, SMITH’S FIRST RUN IN THE BACK-THREE WAS IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, BEFORE HE THEN TOOK THE ROLE TO FRANCE FOR THE RUGBY WORLD

CUP. Steve Borthwick changed his shirt number to 15, in order to get the playmaker into his England team whilst keeping George Ford as the starting fly half for the tournament. Smith

returned to the 10 mantle for the 2024 Autumn Nations Series, but swapped back to fullback for sporadic appearances in the 2025 Guinness Six Nations. His namesake Fin Smith took the reins

from fly half as Borthwick’s men finished second in the Championship, with Marcus the starting in the back-field for England’s victories over France, Scotland and Wales. __ Despite a recent

winning track record at fullback, 72-capped England international Mike Brown does not want to see Smith starting in the 15 shirt for future England or Lions Tests. The most capped England

men’s fullback certainly weighs in from a position of authority, with Andy Farrell listing Smith as a fly half for the upcoming British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. However, Smith’s

versatility could well earn him a run out at 15 in the iconic red of the Lions this Summer. “Looking at England as a fullback, what a great embarrassment of riches they’ve got in that

position now.” Brown said, as he discussed his Leicester teammate Freddie Steward’s future England hopes. “With him (Freddie Steward), the style that he plays, which he’s also adding on to

the way (George) Furbank plays, and what he offers, another brilliant player when he’s fit. Marcus Smith now, is a viable option. “I wouldn’t have him (Smith) as a starter, coming from that

fullback point of view, maybe in some games, but you know, that opportunity and option to have him off the bench or change him in a game. That very attacking based player, but also another

link in the attack, yes that’s three great options there.” Brown elaborated upon how Smith has been tasked to ‘learn on the job’ at times in an England shirt. The Leicester Tigers man

believes that the fullback position can sometimes be used as a way to shoe-horn a player into the match day squad, albeit without the experience and game-management techniques to excel in

the back-field. Brown thinks that Smith is at risk of falling into this category, with the latest Six Nations campaign showing how the Harlequin is still honing his craft in the 15 jersey.

“I think it’s a position sometimes where people just go, ‘oh, we’ll put them back at fullback’ I think Marcus Smith is kind of getting plonked in that as an England side. He’s never played

it before, but he’s an unbelievable talent in broken field, it’s like, ‘Oh, we’ll just stick him at fullback’. “But then you realise, watching him against Scotland, for example, you know how

Finn Russell kind of moved him around, just having to learn on the job. All those things about reading the body language and being in the right position, when to join on the line, when to

not join the in the line, all those sort of things. It becomes very lonely back there.” Should Smith return to the fly half pecking order with England, as he has for the Lions, a window of

opportunity would open up for one of the league’s top fullbacks to occupy in the red rose. Brown is set to end his playing career at the end of his 20th season, with the fourth most capped

Premiership player of all time picking out some England’s highest quality fullbacks, who Brown believes can take England’s 15 shirt into future campaigns. “It’s people like (Tom) de

Glanville who’s playing well at Bath. He doesn’t get mentioned anywhere near enough for me, he must be doing something right. He starts for Bath, who are a step away from potentially winning

their treble, hopefully we (Leicester Tigers) can stop that. But yes, they’ve been brilliant, so he must be doing something right. “Then there’s Joe Carpenter at Sale, they’re really

hitting their scraps at the back end of season. He’s another one. So what a great embarrassment of riches for England to have in that fullback position for the coaches, and to have that

sense of depth in that position ahead of a World Cup (2027). Again, Freddie needs to keep going how he’s going. His ethic, you’ve never doubted it.” Prior to Marcus Smith’s emergence as a

fullback, the 15 shirt was held down by Freddie Steward and George Furbank upon the England stage. Out of the two East Midlands stars, Brown had an understandable favouritism towards his

Leicester Tigers teammate, whom he had trained alongside since arriving at Welford Road in 2022. Brown has watched Steward rise through the England ranks and battle for control of the Test

shirt, as Brown pushed him every step of the way at the Leicester camp. “It’s more having that competition. For him, especially as the starter, having someone that, I hope you’d say kept him

on his toes. Having someone that he’s competing against every day can only be good for your game. I hope, that that’s helped him in it. Maybe he’s not seeing that reward in terms of his

direction just yet, but from what I’m seeing, I think he’s added to his games. “He’s always been that guy that’s great under the high ball, people see that, but I don’t think people

necessarily see what he’s added to his game. His counter attacking and attacking game, how he’s getting himself involved in that, not necessarily (seen) yet, I think they (England selectors)

will do. I’ll just offer some competitiveness and competition in terms of the week building up to a game, so then he’s ready as best he can be for the game.” “Looking at him on the

position, I can see how hard he works. I can see how much he’s trying to improve his game, and he has done. I thought, I think he’s had a brilliant season. So, I think his next England

involvement, people will start to see that.” Brown’s 20-year career has seen him share the pitch with some of the all time great fullbacks. Since his Harlequins debut in 2005, Brown has

played with and against an assortment of iconic outside backs, with his roll call of names collating quite an impressive list. “The internationals were unbelievable. Willie le Roux, Leigh

Halfpenny, (Liam) Williams, Rob Kearney, (Maxime) Medard in France. The you look at the Southern hemisphere with Israel Folau, I played against Percey Montgomery, all those unbelievable

fullbacks I’ve played against. “Then there’s people like Alex Goode, (Ben) Foden, Delon Armitage, Geordan Murphy, he was coming through in the early days of the Premiership. I loved playing

against him with Quins, he always had that flair and that skillset. I loved playing against him. So yes, a lot of unbelievable fullbacks that I was lucky enough to play against, (Stuart)

Hogg as well for Scotland. All brilliant fullbacks.” Another stalwart Premiership fullback is set to end his career alongside Brown, as Alex Goode has confirmed his plans to hang up the

boots at the end of the 2024/25 season. A decorated Saracens star with a glistening cabinet of Premiership and Champions Cup winners medals, game certainly recognised game as Mike Brown

shone a light upon his former London ‘sparring partner’. “It’ll also be good for me to have a little mention with my old sparring partner, Alex Goode. You know, he announced his retirement

yesterday, so a huge congratulations to him. Another person and player that’s done it at the highest level for so long, what he’s achieved at Sarries, representing his country in the same

position as me, all I can do is say congratulations to him and congratulations for what he’s achieved. He’s had an amazing career. So well done to him.”