England star Marcus Smith makes his feelings clear on playing at fullback

Thursday, 06 November 2025 at 20:38

byRugby Rucker

Marcus Smith isn’t giving up on his fly-half dream. The 26-year-old has been trialed at fullback for England, and this weekend he’ll start there once again—lining up at fullback against Fiji. Still, he’s made it crystal clear—he sees himself as a No.10.

Despite England’s mixed results with Smith in the backfield, defence coach Kevin Sinfield insists the experiment isn’t over. He believes ditching the idea now would be a ‘wasted opportunity.’

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“He hasn’t had a great deal of time there, not had a massive amount of minutes,” Sinfield said. “We’ve all seen the reports—he loves playing 10, he’s an outstanding 10, but I think he’s a very, very good 15 as well.”

Sinfield admitted that improvements are needed but remains convinced the switch has value. “Clearly, there are some elements we all need to be better at, and I think Marcus would agree. Some of his 10 play and his 15 play needs to improve. But if we throw it in the bin now, it’ll be a wasted opportunity.”

Smith: “I want to play at 10”

Before the Six Nations kicked off, Smith didn’t mince his words about where he belongs when speaking to The Telegraph.

“I am not shy in saying I want to play at 10,” he told Telegraph Sport. “One of the main reasons I played rugby as a kid was watching guys like Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter. I want to emulate them and follow in their footsteps. I enjoy getting my hands on the ball, and I believe I am a No.10.”

For now, though, the Harlequins star remains a team-first player. Whether it’s at fly-half or fullback, he’s determined to give his all.

“It’s a blessing that I can cover multiple positions,” Smith added. “Whatever position I’m in, I’ll do my very best to perform at the highest level to help the team.”

Taking inspiration from Damian McKenzie

Smith is no stranger to the utility back role, and he’s taking notes from New Zealand’s Damian McKenzie—a master of slotting seamlessly between 10 and 15.

“Damian is an excellent player, extremely talented,” Smith said. “It’s a credit to him that he can so seamlessly drop in at 10 or 15. I’ve played against him a couple of times now, and he’s very difficult to analyse—you never know where he’s going to play or what he’s going to do.”

For now, Smith remains England’s fullback experiment—starting in the 15 jersey against Fiji this weekend. But one thing’s for sure—his heart is still set on that No.10 jersey.

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