Depends by what you mean ready?
I’m expecting a second year academy player to continue to learn his craft - regardless of his promotion to the senior squad - that’s what he is.
He will only learn through playing, as seen by so
Many up and coming players who have arrived at Quins and been starved of game time....
Last year he was able to control games and I think started off playing a bit within himself. DC seemed to manage the game to let him do his thing. It went down hill when DC went off to england and Marcus had less support IMHO.
He either learns or he doesn’t - no one (I hope ) is thinking he is the finished article....
On the whole, I agree. Smith is a genuine talent though and while he is some way off being the finished article, I have no doubt he will get there.
No other clubs have placed this level of reliance on a 10 of his age, mainly because they’ve had a more established first choice which has allowed the up-and-coming player to develop their game more gradually.
Most clubs nurture their young 10s, we’ve thrown Smith in at the deep end. For example, Joe Simmonds is 22 and has made 29 appearances for Exeter. Marcus is 19 and has already made 28 appearances which will also include a much higher percentage of starts than Simmonds and more in the Premiership/ECC.
I hope we’ll reap the benefits of this in the long term, but in the short term, Smith is basically learning on the job so there are bound to be games where his inexperience is exposed.
I’m not sure I’d have Lang starting ahead of him though.
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