Marcus Smith was called up unexpectedly by the British and Irish Lions, less than one week after his England debut. Tabai Mattson is anticipating more time away for the Harlequins squad in the new season
Tabai Mathson, the New Harlequins coach, faces many challenges in his quest to lift the club to new heights. However, he can be sure Marcus Smith will play an important role.
The maverick fly-half is embracing his role as the prospering prodigal son of The Stoop, capping last season’s Premiership title with summer debuts for England and the British and Irish Lions.
Matson’s arrival has been somewhat bittersweet in that while just about any coach might like to take over England’s reigning champions, that could lead to unrealistic expectations in the short term.
And similarly, Smith’s impressive progress for club and country is sure to earn him even more attention from selectors, leaving his new coach under no illusions that more call-ups will come.
“If Marcus was here all year, I’d be disappointed in a manner. He’s exciting and I think all of English rugby is excited about his potential,” Matson told reporters.
”To be 22 and having played 100 Premiership matches is a phenomenal achievement. This shows his endurance, among other things.
“Clearly he’s quality. I’m not going to say he’s a world-class player yet, but he’s definitely got the potential to go to another level which is exciting for the club. He’s definitely tracking in the right direction.
“A superstar’s success is often determined by his longevity. We need him to try on the white jersey and see if it can hold up for five to six years.
“It’s a double-edged sword for Quins because on the back of our success you promote people to play for their country, which is what you want.
“We need to find ways to adapt and fill very big boots when he leaves.”
Former Bath boss Matson, 48, has a tall order in retaining the Premiership title after Quins ended a nine-year wait for the league crown, particularly as Saracens return to England’s first tier.
Smith, 22 years old, will not be able to join the campaign due to the stand-down protocol Lions tourists must serve after the series loss in South Africa.
Matson said his star playmaker won’t be available to feature until the Round 4 clash with Bristol Bears on October 8, meaning Smith will miss Premiership fixtures against Newcastle and Worcester.
This will allow players and coaches to evaluate their setup without Smith. Tyrone Green and Tommaso Allan, new signings, will be next in line for the No. 10 jersey.
It’s a practice they will need considering Smith is likely to rejoin Eddie Jones ’ England squad for the upcoming autumn internationals against Tonga, Australia, and South Africa.
The Quins academy graduate was named into Warren Gatland’s Lions squad to provide injury cover for Finn Russell
While he did not make the South Africa Test squad, he displayed tremendous skill in a warm-up win over the Stormers.
Smith made his England debut with a win over the United States at July’s beginning. Nine conversions were kicked by Smith when Canada defeated England at Twickenham one week later.
The youngster’s impressive form has even led to calls that he should replace captain Owen Farrell as fly-half for the Red Rose, bringing rare athleticism and playmaking to the position.
Harlequins are lucky to have many established internationals in their team. It also comes with the territory of being able to call up many of these players by their respective countries come November.
Matson is sure to see several of his stars join up with England at that time, but no one absence is likely to hurt the team’s output quite as much as that of his talismanic fly-half.