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Marcus Smith has been backed to deliver on the biggest night of his career after England gambled by picking the Harlequins magician at full-back for Sunday\u2019s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji.<\/p>\n
Smith will make only his second professional start in the number 15 jersey and, while he has also banked a number of influential cameos as a replacement, he remains a converted fly-half who is unproven in the position at the highest level.<\/p>\n
England believe he will continue to thrive in his new role, providing a cutting edge in attack and a second ball-playing option, and have sacrificed the ultra dependable Freddie Steward to accommodate him.<\/p>\n
Another seismic selection sees Owen Farrell replace George Ford at fly-half even though the Sale ringmaster has excelled at the World Cup, delivering man-of-the-match displays against Argentina and Japan.<\/p>\n
All eyes will be on Smith, however, in the hope that he can reproduce the fireworks seen in the group match against Chile when he ran in two tries.<\/p>\n
Harlequins team-mate Joe Marler has known the 24-year-old since he arrived at Twickenham Stoop as a teenager and quickly realised he was a special talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarcus is a big-match player. I\u2019m really happy for him to get his opportunity to start again in a World Cup. He\u2019ll thrive,\u201d Marler said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s shown it off the bench in the moments we\u2019ve needed him and I hope he can do that from the start.<\/p>\n
He’s done it consistently at club level and now it’s about now doing it consistently at international level<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the club he was confident early on, even to the point where I turn around and say \u2018I\u2019m going to have to say something to this guy, he\u2019s gobbing off at me\u2019. I\u2019ve been at the club 10 years and he\u2019s gobbing off at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was like \u2018he\u2019s a jumped up, entitled, little, private school kid\u2019. And then when you realise how good he is at rugby and why he\u2019s doing what he\u2019s doing, I was like \u2018I\u2019m going to listen to him because he\u2019s going to get us into positions where we can win more rugby games because he knows what he\u2019s talking about\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s done it consistently at club level and now it\u2019s about now doing it consistently at international level. What better place to do that than starting in the quarter-final?\u201d<\/p>\n
Farrell will dovetail with Smith in attack with the pair each operating at first and second receiver at different times. England\u2019s captain has noted his team-mate\u2019s appetite to take on the opposition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m impressed with how much Marcus wants to get after it \u2013 how much he wants the ball, how much he wants to make a difference,\u201d Farrell said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom what I\u2019ve seen so far the bigger the occasion, the more he wants to do that. It\u2019s not like Marcus hasn\u2019t played in big games \u2013 he\u2019s won the Premierships.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants to have a big impact on the game and so far he\u2019s been doing that. I see it being no different this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
England field eight survivors from the starting XV that took on South Africa in the World Cup final four years ago and it could be a final appearance for several members of Borthwick\u2019s squad \u2013 providing additional motivation against Fiji.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are definitely a number of us that won\u2019t play for England again after this tournament,\u201d Marler said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been together a number of years, we have built friendships and bonds. We want to give this our all and finish on a high.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know when your last game is. You\u2019ve got to make the most of what you can.\u201d<\/p>\n