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Being selected for a British & Irish Lions tour is meant to be the pinnacle of a rugby player’s career. An affirmation of their place amongst the world’s elite. For Marcus Smith, though, the 2025 Lions Tour will surely be one he looks back on with confusion and frustration.
His initial selection was, in many ways, somewhat unexpected. He had been given the reigns for England at 10 in 2024, only to preside over a disappointing Six Nations and a 5 match losing streak. He then lost the England 10 shirt to his namesake Fin, a move that resulted in an immediate upturn in England’s results.
He was given a lifeline in the unfamiliar role of fullback, where he struggles to assert himself. Most expect him to lose that jersey too once George Furbank returns to fitness. However, with his international career seemingly teetering on the brink, he was called up to the British & Irish Lions.
When justifying the selection, pundits said it was down to his new-found versatility, as showcased by his forced relocation to fullback for England. Utility backs, they said, are must-haves for the Lions.
Whether you accept this explanation or not entirely depends on if you buy into the idea Marcus Smith is truly a utility back. As Mauro Bergamasco will testify, being given a different number to wear does not make you multi-positional. In 2005, Johnny Wilkinson was asked to wear the 12 jersey for the Lions - do we think of him as a utility back?
Marcus Smith is a supremely talented rugby player and in some ways the move to fullback showcased the best of him. Relieved of the bulk of the game management duties, he was free to do what he does best: operate in increase time and space to isolate defenders and either assist line breaks or make them himself. On attack, he is a joy to watch in the 15 jersey.
However, a fullback’s game has much more to it than that. At times, Marcus has looked like a fish out of water with in the new position. He has never been secure under the high ball and his defensive decision making - when to come into the line, his body positioning etc - is suspect. His tackling itself is one of the reasons he was supplanted by Fin in the first place.
Even small things like rucking, a duty fullbacks are required to perform much more frequently than fly-halves, have revealed how uncomfortable Marcus seems in his new role. Yes, he may have played 15 at test level, but the label of ‘utility back’ still does not feel like one he has earned. He is a fly-half playing out of position.
It seems that Andy Farrell quickly realised this, too. Marcus’ first - and only - start of the tour was in the opener against Argentina, where he came off comfortably 2nd best against opposite number Santiago Carreras. While he contributed excellently in attack (as he always does) he struggle defensively, in the air and at the ruck.
Farrell backtracked immediately. After the Argentina test, he enjoyed just one more outing at fullback all tour - as an early substitute against the Brumbies, a change enforced by a first half injury to Blair Kinghorn. He did well enough, brilliantly assisting a try for Gary Ringrose and scoring one of his own on the stroke of half time, but it was the last time he played the position in a red jersey.
What makes his treatment truly bizarre, though, is that he has still played more minutes at fullback than he has in his natural position of fly-half. Since the Lions landed in Australia, Marcus has not started a single game. His game time at number 10 totals just 91 minutes, all as a substitute.
Amongst onlookers, this caused was a wave of hoc rationalisation - attempting to create a narrative after an event to justify it. It was suggested that Marcus’ string of bench appearances was part of an Andy Farrell masterplan: he was to be the ultimate finisher, a specialist 22 or 23 wearer, and the whole tour was about preparing him for this role.
Sadly, that theory did not match up to what we saw on the pitch and was finally blown apart when Marcus lost his bench spot to Owen Farrell for the 2nd Wallabies test. It is now clear he was never considered a contender for a starting test spot.
The call-up of Owen itself spoke volumes about Marcus’ place in the squad. At 26 years old and 44 test caps (and an oft forgotten appearance on the 2021 Lions tour) he is not the inexperienced player some would have you believe.
However, with the loss of Elliot Daly, the Lions coaches identified a leadership vacuum in the backline. They decided that an ageing and out of form Owen Farrell (who despite his 3 tours has only ever started one Lions test at fly-half) was a better option. With Blair Kinghorn fit to cover the back 3, even the disputed claim of versatility now did nothing for Marcus.
Far from post-purchase rationalisation, Andy Farrell looks to have been suffering from buyer’s remorse. If he did take Marcus as a fullback option, it took one game for him to change his mind. If he took him as a fly-half option, he hasn't given him a chance - 31 minutes at 10 in the blowout against the AUNZ invitational side the longest he was granted to demonstrate his capabilities.
None of this should have happened. The Lions coaches had the tapes of Marcus playing 15 to make a call on his ability there without needing to see him struggle against Argentina. They had seen England get better with Fin Smith at 10. Richard Wigglesworth, the England attack coach, was in the room to tell them everything they wanted to know about him.
Similar questions should be posed about Alex Mitchell, whose last 5 tour appearances have yielded just 28 minutes in total - being an unused sub twice. His only two starts of the tour were the defeat to Argentina and the laboured win over the NSW Waratahs. Late call-up Ben White ended the tour with as many starts in the 9 jersey as the England man.
Perhaps Marcus is carrying an injury we don’t know about? Perhaps he has been struggling with illness like Keenan was? The story will come out, sooner or later, and Marcus will have his say. He returns home with his England place in more doubt than ever having seen George Ford put on a masterclass in South America and Steve Borthwick considering a 7-1 split that would rob him of even the 23 jersey.
Far from being the peak of his career, Marcus Smith may come to view the 2025 Lions Tour as the moment it nearly ended.