Will Greenwood has urged England fly-half Marcus Smith to follow the example of seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady following England’s narrow 16-15 defeat by New Zealand last Saturday.
The 2003 World Cup winner also praised the Harlequins fly-half for his performance during the match, saying the 25-year-old is starting to look a lot more comfortable in the No.10 shirt at international level.
Smith will lead the attack at flyhalf during England’s second Test match against New Zealand at Eden Park this weekend. But his performance during last Saturday’s game has become the focus of attention as the Quins playmaker missed three of his five attempts on goal.
Despite this, the former England centre highlighted the unique skills Smith possesses with the ball in hand and how he is improving by playing much closer to the goal line.
Speaking on behalf of NOW, Greenwood said: ‘He (Smith) feels a lot more comfortable in his shirt now, with the No. 10 shirt, so to speak, being his at the moment.
Marcus Smith (pictured) will lead England’s attack during their second Test against New Zealand
Will Greenwood believes Smith should emulate former NFL star Tom Brady (pictured)
Greenwood (pictured) said Smith should play closer to the contact areas like Brady.
“I know Fin Smith is putting pressure on him, but he’s in the crosshairs now. He’s very aggressive, delaying passes and putting people in a bind.
‘When he started, he was a bit deeper, he played a bit more like he does at Quins, which is what you can do at club level.
‘Now, he’s not as flat as Finn Russell, he’s not as flat as Damian McKenzie, but he’s getting flatter. George Ford remains the flattest of the English fly-halfs in attack.
“But Marcus is getting there and brings a lot of other things that other fly-halfs don’t have.”
Smith would demonstrate this during last weekend’s test, stepping up to the line before launching a spectacular pass to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso on the left wing, who came in to score England’s second try of the match.
While the fly-half possesses a unique ability to produce moments of magic with the ball in hand, Greenwood offered a suggestion on how he can continue to improve to make England’s attack even more threatening.
“You have to give (Smith) time to get more comfortable, like (Tom) Brady, to stay behind his nose tackle as long as possible before dropping back to the shotgun stance that gives him more space,” Greenwood added.
‘Stay close to the nose tackle, work in traffic, (use) those short-yardage passes.
“Brady’s ability to stay between bodies longer has defined him as the greatest quarterback of all time and that’s Marcus’ next challenge.”
Brady (right) won seven Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Greenwood said the Harlequins fly-half looked “a lot more comfortable” in the No. 10 shirt
Despite excelling with the ball in hand, Smith missed three shots on goal in the first test.
Fin Baxter is the only change for Steve Borthwick’s side ahead of the second Test, with the 22-year-old prop coming into the front row to replace Joe Marler after his Quins team-mate suffered a foot injury during the first Test.
The All Blacks were also forced into a change after TJ Perenara suffered an injury during the match in Dunedin, with Finlay Christie set to partner McKenzie at scrum-half.
Borthwick is approaching his second year in charge as England manager, and while Greenwood believes there is still work to be done, they are playing some impressive rugby, compared to some of their performances in the past.
“I want to get up and see this group,” he said. “It’s very exciting. They’re not going to do everything right, but they support each other. It’s a great team, with a great atmosphere and a really good group of leaders.”
He added: ‘England is not a finished country, but, my God, I like to see them.
“And I like watching them play, I like their energy and I have a very positive attitude towards what they are doing.
“I’m not a person who has always been a cheerleader. That has to be put into context.
“And they could often do better,” he said, referring to past performances.
‘Now, at this moment, I am going to thematically analyze the pillars that must be taken into account.
“They are getting it right more often than not, and that’s a great trajectory to follow.”
Fin Baxter (centre-left) is the only change for Steve Borthwick’s team ahead of the second round.
Greenwood was also encouraged by the exciting rugby England played in Dunedin.
Following the positive performance, he added that the Borthwick team was “on the right path”.
Ahead of the second Test match against New Zealand, Greenwood partnered with streaming service NOW and spoke of the broad access the platform offers to sports fans.
“You can stream the second Test match with a NOW Sports Day or Month membership,” Greenwood said.
“It offers instant access to all of Sky’s rivals’ sporting rights, including this summer’s international matches. The beauty is that it’s a flexible way to stream all 12 Sky Sports channels on any device, without committing to a contract. It’s hassle-free international rugby and good value for money.”
Live stream the second summer rugby international between New Zealand and England on Sky Sports with a NOW Sports daily or monthly membership.