'I'll work my hardest to get as close as I can to him'

Marcus Smith will resume making the tea for Owen Farrell this autumn as England’s playmakers look to develop the creative relationship needed for a successful autumn.

Both starting fly-halves for their clubs, the pair are expected to pick up where they left off against Australia in the summer in an axis that will see Farrell resume at inside centre.

Once the weekend’s round of Gallagher Premiership matches are completed, they will unite at England’s training camp in Jersey next week with the aim of enhancing their understanding on and off the field.

The autumn opens against Argentina at Twickenham on November 6 and Smith reveals they will bond over tea, biscuits and a growing rivalry on Xbox.

“The relationship is building so hopefully that can translate on to the field,” Lucozade Sport athlete Smith told the PA news agency.

“I’ll work my hardest to get as close as I can to him, make him as many teas as he needs and hopefully that can translate on to the field.

“We’ll have teas together, catch up, have some biscuits if we’re lucky and we’ll try and spend as much time as we can together to build that rapport.

“We get on really well, we try to challenge each other. He challenges me, which is brilliant for my development.

“And we have a good time together. We played Xbox together, he always beats me at NBA but I can always get him at FIFA.

“He’s extremely competitive and hates losing at anything. If ever I beat him at anything, I let him know about it but he does the same to me. It’s a mutual respect and relationship that we have.”

Eddie Jones first selected the pair together against Australia at Twickenham a year ago but that experiment ended early when Farrell sustained ankle ligament damage with the same injury to the other foot then forcing him to miss the Six Nations.

A 2-1 series victory over the Wallabies in July was their first run of Tests in tandem but the jury remains out on whether they are the right fit.

“My relationship with Owen has improved over the last couple of years. I’ve loved playing with him. He’s a brilliant team-mate and a brilliant player,” Smith said.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve and he leads by example. To have him on my side in the four games I’ve played with him has been amazing and has given me an extra confidence boost.”

Smith is acutely aware of the responsibility on England’s shoulders as the game prays for a sparkling autumn as the antidote to the crises it faces.

Wasps and Worcester are in administration amid concerns that other financially-troubled clubs could follow, while concussion hovers as an ever-present existential threat.

In addition, the rising number of in-match stoppages have taken a toll on internationals to the point that Jones has called for urgent reform and numbers in the community game have dwindled since Covid-19.

For all the gloom, the Premiership has never been more entertaining and Smith sees a path out of the uncertainty.

“I just feel that sport – and especially rugby – comes together when it’s on the back foot,” the 23-year-old Harlequins player said.

“What’s happening will galvanise people, make people dig in and graft to make it right. Not just at the professional level, but at the grassroots as well, which for me is the most important.

“I encourage people to help in any way they can because I’m sure a lot of people can influence in their own circles and lift the profile of the game, which we need at the minute.

“For those of us players who can still play, the Premiership has provided the chance to showcase what you’ve got. It’s an expression of how the players are feeling because they’re all buzzing to be out there.

“In my short career, more than ever the players are talking about rugby. Everyone’s got their plans and ideas for what it should look like.

“Some of the senior boys have a much bigger opinion than me because they’ve been in the game a lot longer, but I love listening to them.

“If I can help in any way I would love to help because rugby’s been an important part of my life, not just in the first five years of my career, but since I’ve been growing up.

“Our family used to watch my dad play when I was three or four so it’s been in my life the whole time. It’s a brilliant sport, not just as a spectacle, but to bring families and people together.”

:: Marcus Smith is the latest edge of your seat athlete to partner with Lucozade Sport, the nation’s favourite sports drink, who is helping to provide free workout sessions across the UK with OurParks.