Jonny May has hailed acceleration king Marcus Smith as a “frightening” proposition for England’s Rugby World Cup opponents.
Gloucester wing May once held the crown as England’s quickest player, but now 20-year-old Henry Arundell boasts the top-line speed title.
Harlequins star Smith has emerged as England’s most rapid runner over 10 metres however, having spent the summer honing his speed out of the blocks.
Fly-half Smith has exploited his newly developed searing pace to impress at full-back in this World Cup, becoming a genuine option at 15.
And experienced wing May revealed he has been stunned by Smith’s transformation.
“I’ve actually been saying to him, ‘mate you are physically blossoming’, it’s sort of sprung up on me,” said May.
“You forget he has been coming in with us since he was 16.
“We would put a GPS on him and he would be running around Brighton College with us when he was studying there.
“I don’t want to sound patronising, but because he started off as that young guy running round with us – it’s only until now I’m realising he’s looking so quick, and all of a sudden his legs are big.
“His acceleration is as good as anyone’s; off the mark he is frightening.
“His top seed is getting faster as well. It’s probably not like a winger, his top speed, yet.
“But he doesn’t need that. He has his famous goose-step and change of direction, and acceleration which really is as fast as anybody here. He’s probably the fastest off the mark.”
While former London Irish wing Arundell would leave the rest of England’s pace men for dead across 40 metres, but Smith is now the quickest in a 10metre dash.
“I think he is the quickest off that 10metre burst,” said May.
“Sorry to talk technically, but for acceleration you want low-heel recovery, and that’s how he runs.
“For top speed you want your legs to come up high, but for acceleration you want it to be low.
“He really does drive his knees and keeps his feet close to the ground.
“He just whizzes off the mark, that’s just how he runs.”
England have enjoyed several days off in their World Cup bye week, before reconvening on Thursday to get down to work ahead of the October 7 clash with Samoa.
Beat the Pacific Islanders and England will top Pool D and seal a quarter-final in Marseille on Sunday, October 15.
May broke onto the Gallagher Premiership scene with home club Gloucester as a raw teenager able to break defences with pace, footwork and unpredictability all the way back in 2009.
The 75-cap wing needed four years to step up to the level to make his Test debut, but has never looked back since.
May bagged his first Test try against New Zealand in 2013, went to the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, and enjoyed a stint at Leicester between two spells with the Cherry and Whites.
Now 33 and able to appraise the Test arena from a position of tangible experience, May examined Smith’s fast-developing game – and only found positives.
“How old is Marcus now? 24 – you start to come into yourself at 24,” said May.
“It is a bit of a late-development sport. His legs are looking big. I keep pumping him up saying, ‘mate you’re looking good. You are coming along’.
“He is definitely coming into himself physically. It’s exciting to see that he has put the work in in that time. It takes time.
“He is deadly out there at full-back, and he’s a real dream for a winger.
“You really want someone inside who can pass that ball crisply and sharply to you. But the best prize is someone who can get to your guy and make him bite in and nibble in.
“Marcus did that for me off the bench again Japan, he gave me that inch to get outside. We got a dent, and then we ended up scoring.
“There’s not many who can do that, and it’s definitely a dream.
“He times his passes so well, and he’s got that pace and attacking ability to interest your guy as well.”
