British Lions sent 5-word Marcus Smith message after early Andy Farrell decision
Marcus Smith is one of the most dynamic players in the British and Irish Lions squad and Danny Care has tipped the Harlequins star to have a huge impact against Australia
Danny Care believes Marcus Smith can win the British and Irish Lions a Test series with his one-on-one ability - insisting he's "better than anybody they've got in that squad".
The Harlequins fly-half is one of three 10s vying for the Test jersey this summer. Smith has been dislodged as England's first choice fly-half but his attacking quality and versatility got him a spot on the plane ahead of the trip to Australia.
The Lions will play a farewell game in Dublin against Argentina this Friday with Smith starting at fullback. The position lends itself to his attacking game and Care has seen firsthand how devastating he can be with ball in hand.
The now retired scrum-half believes he ranks above every Lions player in that department, adamant that he would be the man Farrell would want if the Test series was on the line and the team had a one-on-one to seal the deal.
Care, speaking at a SailGP event ahead of the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth, told Mirror Sport: "He sees the game differently to most 10s. It's an attack first mindset, which I love about him and his foot work and ability to beat people one-on-one is better than anybody they've got in that squad.
"So if you've got a one v one to win a Test the one person I'd want on the ball is Marcus Smith so I think he'll bring a real attacking edge to that team."
Smith is one of three fly-halves in the squad. Finn Russell, who has been given the weekend off after winning the Premiership with Bath, and his namesake Fin Smith are the two other options. The Northampton star will start at 10 on Friday with Smith lining up as part of the back three. Russell is currently seen as the current favourite to land the Test jersey. It could lead to a situation where Marcus does miss out on the Test team and, as it stands, he looks third choice for his preferred position.
Should that happen then the Harlequins star could well be providing opposition for the starting team during the week at training. Care insists that is a devastating prospect for those picked to start, citing Smith as "the best preparation" and has tipped him to carve up.
He said: "He'd be brilliant, he'd be a nightmare for the lads to train against. I've seen it, when you're running against the team as opposition and he'll carve that team up. He finds ways, he finds holes to carve through any defence. If he wasn't starting he'd be the best preparation they could have, pulling the strings. He's an absolute team player, whatever he does he does it for the team and whatever role he gets he'll give 100 percent."
Captain Maro Itoje will captain the team from the second row on Friday night with the Englishman leading the Lions for the first time. Caelan Doris' injury means he was a shoo in to lead the squad this summer having skippered his country recently.
Itoje has been tipped as a future leader from a young age and Care came across the star as a teenager and was left stunned by the way he held himself. He recalls speaking to Owen Farrell about the then U20s captain as the Itoje secret was already well and truly out of the bag.
He said: We were touring New Zealand and he was the U20s captain. We went to do a presentation to some kids and I got chosen for the England boys and Maro did it for the U20s because they were touring too. It was the first time I'd met him and I couldn't believe how grown up, professional, confident and how much of a man he was. I was speaking to Faz after saying he's impressive and he was like 'yeah, he's special'."
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