| Venue: Stade de Marseille Date: Sunday, 15 October Kick-off: 16:00 BST |
| Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Marcus Smith should start England’s World Cup quarter-final against Fiji at full-back with captain Owen Farrell at fly-half, says former international wing Chris Ashton.
Farrell is set to take George Ford’s place at 10 in Marseille, while Smith is expected to replace Freddie Steward.
Smith started at full-back in England’s 71-0 pool-stage victory against Chile.
“I’ve seen enough of him at 15 to start a World Cup quarter-final against Fiji,” Ashton told Rugby Union Daily.
England head coach Steve Borthwick will name his team for the quarter-final on Friday.
Smith would be expected to bring a pacey attack – helped by speed work done with Olympic great Daley Thompson.
The 24-year-old, who is usually a fly-half, does not have the defensive or aerial abilities of Steward, but these skills may be worth less against a Fiji side not known for their kicking game.
Ford impressed in England’s opening two games while Farrell was suspended and the pair combined at 10 and 12 respectively in Saturday’s 18-17 win against Samoa.
Ford was substituted after 51 minutes in that game, but former England captain Matt Dawson said afterwards that he would be “astounded” if Farrell replaced the Sale back for the quarter-final.
Beyond his choices at 10 and 15, Borthwick will have to decide whether Steward remains in the starting team on the wing and which of centres Manu Tuilagi, Ollie Lawrence, Joe Marchant and Elliot Daly should combine in the midfield.
Whatever the England head coach chooses, Farrell and Smith’s inclusion would mean a significantly different backline to the one which fell to a first defeat by Fiji at Twickenham in August, when Ford played at 10 and Steward at 15.
Ashton believes playing Farrell at 10 calls for the inclusion of Smith at 15, saying: “If we’re going to go with Owen at 10 because that’s the way Steve [Borthwick] and Wiggy [England attack coach Richard Wigglesworth] feel the game is controlled best and he is the captain so he needs to be in that position to get the best out of him and therefore the team, that leaves us pretty thin with attacking varieties.
“What we have seen is every time Marcus has been on the pitch at 15, he has transformed our attack. Right now there is no next week, we’ve got to give it a go.”
— Reports /TrainViral/
