Three alterations Woodward would make to England XV for Springboks clash - Page 3 of 3 - Ruck

Three alterations Woodward would make to England XV for Springboks clash

#3. Give Marcus Smith the keys

Woodward wrote: “Smith had a useful first half although having picked him to start I found it strange to see him stripped of responsibility.

“Owen Farrell was goal kicking and he also stepped in as first receiver on a few occasions. The overall effect was to take Smith out of the game slightly. Elite Test rugby is very different from even top-level club rugby and you have to adapt to that but you also want to keep your basic game and responsibilities as close as possible to what you do week in week out. 

You want to play the kind of game that earned you international selection in the first place.”

Marcus Smith of England scores a penalty during the Autumn Nations Match between England and Australia at Twickenham on 13 November 2021. Photo: Micah Crook/PPAUK

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