England fly half Marcus Smith is determined to make amends from the kicking tee, after he missed crucial shots at goal on the past Summer tour of New Zealand. Smith left eight points on the pitch in the first Test defeat, in what would have secured England their first win against the All Blacks upon New Zealand soil since 2003.
England lost by just one point out in Dunedin (16-15), before the All Blacks stepped up the intensity to record the clean sweep with a victory at Eden Park the following week (24-17). The first Test felt like a missed opportunity to Smith and the England players, with the Harlequin focussed on righting the wrongs in their first Autumn Series match next month. England welcome New Zealand to the Allianz Stadium on Saturday November 2nd, with redemption firmly on the mind of England’s talisman.
“That game in Dunedin was quite a tough game for me personally. I said it was a difficult week for me personally, but the confidence the boys gave me allowed me to have the confidence to go into the second Test.”
“Going into that week (Dunedin), I was probably overthinking it. I don’t think I kicked that well towards the back end of last season, I felt I was a bit rushed, a bit tight on the ball and it was funny. Going to the Japan game I felt good going to the ball. Sometimes you can look at it and it feels like it is going to be all good, then you get to a game and it’s suddenly all different.
“I have done a fair bit of breath work at the back of my run-up, especially if I am in a longer passage of play, trying to regulate my emotions and breathing so I can stay calm in that moment. Ultimately if we are being honest, there is nothing different between kicking in a training session and in a game But in that specific moment, when the lads needed me most, I wasn’t there. For me it is learning that breath, relaxing and trusting my ability and my preparation.”
Smith now shares an off day at the Forsyth Barr Stadium with Jonny Wilkinson, with England fans casting their minds back to the 2011 Rugby World Cup to remember the assortment of missed kicks Wilkinson endured in Dunedin. Wilkinson has now long been a mentor to Smith both on and off the pitch, and whilst the two have not spoken about any specific curse from the South Island stadium, the Harlequin explained how the 2003 Rugby World Cup winner does help him handle the psychological pressures of being England’s resident goal kicker.
“That’s again, what I love so much about working with Jonny, is a lot of what we do is talking about the way you live, the way you act, the way you deal with adversity. Not that much is talking about kicking technique. Ultimately, I’ve practiced my kicking for a long time now, since I was 12 years old, so the technique is just small nuances of it, ensuring that I’m in good rhythm.
“Freeing up my mind so that I can execute in the biggest of moments. And that day (Dunedin Test), like I said, I didn’t, but I’m proud of myself, and I’m happy that I took it on again the week after and and slotted it over for the boys.”
Harlequins welcomed a goal kicking aficionado to the Stoop over the Summer, through the signing of Wales and British & Irish Lions legend Leigh Halfpenny. Smith described Halfpenny as ‘a metronome off the tee’, with the Welshman helping Smith tick over from the challenges of last Summer.
“At the start of this season, I felt I have been kicking well and a lot of that is down to Leigh. He is such a metronome off the tee, so meticulous with his preparation. I am enjoying kicking with him every single day, as well as with Jonny (Wilkinson) who I see as well. I am in a good place in my mind in terms of my kicking. As a kicker you are always going to have those days but in terms of confidence in your process and belief to want the tee again and go for it again. I think I did that in the summer.”
Smith went on to then express how he has been utilising some military grade techniques, to help with his breathing before kicking at goal. This is just one of a number of factors that the Harlequin has altered, with changes also made to his shooting boots ahead of the upcoming Autumn Internationals.
“I just take a deep breath in, suck it up at the end, and then breathe out as slow as I can. Think it’s like an army technique to regulate.”
“I think I did. I just changed my kicking tee again, because one of my points always comes off. But no, I did actually, I think. It’s the same style, it’s just a fresh one. I changed my boots, for sure. Had to change them!”
Pivoting slightly from his kicking responsibilities, question marks remain over where Smith will be deployed for England, throughout the month-long Autumn Series. Following a shoulder injury to Leigh Halfpenny, Smith recently ran out at fullback for Harlequins, in what was his first run in the 15 shirt since the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Smith took on resident England fullback George Furbank in the battle of the back-threes, as Harlequins travelled up to the Midlands for a Premiership fixture with Northampton Saints. Furbank was impressed by Smith’s efforts at fullback, and the Harlequin has a renewed understanding of what it takes to excel across multiple positions.
However, with George Ford currently rehabbing a quad injury, the name ‘Smith’ can be printed in advance upon the England 10 shirt for the Autumn. Either Marcus or his Northampton namesake Fin Smith will lead the line, with the Harlequin taking valuable learnings from his recent return to the back three.
“I’ve enjoyed it. When I got told last week that I was playing full-back, I was quite excited by it. I see it as a challenge. It’s obviously not my desired position, and I’d never really played there until I was a professional, which was good fun sometimes. But I quite like the freedom of it and being able to express myself in that position.”
“It gives me more appreciation of when the outside backs get frustrated, when they’re not getting the ball, for example, or when they call something and I ignore them from fly-half. I understand why Cadan (Murley), Tyrone (Green) and these guys sometimes get angry at me.
“It’s growing me into a better player from a defensive point of view and from a coverage point of you. Understanding that is important in Test match rugby and for Harlequins. I think it’s making me a more rounded player and giving me an idea of what the outside backs what from me and the demands they go through every single game.”
