The England assistant coach, Felix Jones, has praised the game breaking ability of the fly-half Marcus Smith, saying he can “do things a lot of other players can’t”.
Having planned ways to stop the Harlequins No 10 while working for the Springboks, Jones now forms part of a coaching team trying to maximise the 25-year-old’s considerable talent.
Smith toured South Africa with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, before his penalty clinched a dramatic Autumn international win for England over the Boks at Twickenham later that year.
England face Scotland at Murrayfield next Saturday aiming to make it three tournament wins out of three, with Smith named in Steve Borthwick’s training squad for the Calcutta Cup this week as he works on recovering from a calf injury in time to be available for the match.
“The times I would have been analysing him before was when he was over with the Lions tour and then South Africa v England games previously,” Jones said.
“He’s somebody I would have looked at, obviously a super player, [who] can do things that a lot of other players can’t do. That always forces you to take notice when you can see a guy move the way he can move.”
Known for his meticulousness and attention to detail, Jones is attempting to implement the blitz defence that served South Africa so well in winning the 2019 and 2023 World Cups.
Asked if Smith’s unpredictability can sometimes lead to him becoming isolated from his teammates, and if that is an issue for coaches, Jones said: “We’d have to go down a proper discussion there and start looking at examples and the reasons why, and go deep into it. I think he’s been performing really well this year.
“The players that make it to the Test arena are guys that often push the limits in terms of what is normal and what they think people expect of them. They push themselves outside of those boxes, and that’s generally the guys who become the best. There’s always a balance.”
Jones said England’s players have been “brilliant” in their efforts to carry out his plans in the first two rounds of the Six Nations, victories against Italy and Wales, but the 36-year-old is conscious that Murrayfield will present a sterner challenge.
Gregor Townsend’s Scotland exerted considerable pressure on France in round two, including a kicking strategy that may have taken inspiration from the manner in which South Africa exposed Les Bleus with garryowens in last year’s World Cup quarter-final.
“Scotland’s game, not just kicking game, their running game is also extremely dangerous and full of threats,” Jones said. “Obviously Finn Russell’s passing game, his ability to see space and manipulate defenders … Duhan van der Merwe, Blair Kinghorn, there are a whole host of guys there that can break a game wide open, so it is not only their tactical approach but their skillset.”
With an eye on the potential for Russell’s boot to cause problems for Borthwick’s side against Scotland, Jones praised the form of England’s Freddie Steward, a full-back capable of dominating in the air.
“Freddie’s aerial ability is well documented and how well he’s been applying that,” Jones said. “I think the last two games he has been excellent so it definitely is an asset. But on top of that Fred has other areas he needs to work on.”
Jones said his coaching career has developed “organically” after injury forced him into retirement from playing at 28. A former full-back, Jones hails from south Dublin but signed for Munster in 2009 and played 90 games for the province along with winning 13 Ireland caps.
“I didn’t have any great plan [after playing retirement], it was very much just to try and find something I was enjoying or passionate about, and make the most of the opportunities that came,” Jones said. “I can’t say there was any great plan to go down the path that I have, or work with the people I have. It has happened organically.”
Asked if he enjoys Test match days as a coach, Jones said: “It is a bit of a rollercoaster. Sometimes it is stressful, sometimes it is enjoyable. It is a mixture because you are putting so much into it but you also love it and you want to win.
“You also know you can’t win every moment and there will be stressful moments and there will be joyous moments. That is half the appeal of it – you feel alive, but it is up and down.”
