Édition du Nord

Select Edition

Nord Nord
Sud Sud
Mondial Mondial
Nouvelle Zélande Nouvelle Zélande
France France

Quand Siya Kolisi encense Marcus Smith

Par AFP
L'Anglais Marcus Smith lors de la défaite des Autumn Nations Series contre l'Australie (Photo par Andrew Kearns/CameraSport via Getty Images).

Le demi d’ouverture anglais Marcus Smith fait partie de ces joueurs capables d’emballer un match « quand rien ne se passe », l’a complimenté le capitaine sud-africain Siya Kolisi, vendredi, à la veille du test-match entre l’Angleterre et les Springboks à Twickenham.

ADVERTISEMENT

« Il est incroyable, on ne peut pas le nier », a déclaré devant la presse le troisième-ligne sud-africain. « Je l’ai affronté en Coupe d’Europe et il fait partie de ces gens doués qui peuvent faire quelque chose quand rien ne se passe », a ajouté l’ex-joueur du Racing 92.

« Si vous l’arrêtez, il continuera à revenir à la charge et c’est ce qu’on attend (d’un grand joueur) », a déclaré le capitaine des doubles champions du monde en titre, qui partage la même société de management que l’Anglais.

Video Spacer

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi on Marcus Smith’s growth as a player

The Springboks might have inside knowledge of Marcus Smith’s “strengths and weaknesses”, but they must be street-smart in dealing with the unpredictable playmaker.

Video Spacer

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi on Marcus Smith’s growth as a player

The Springboks might have inside knowledge of Marcus Smith’s “strengths and weaknesses”, but they must be street-smart in dealing with the unpredictable playmaker.

Rencontre
Internationals
England
20 - 29
Temps complet
South Africa
Toutes les stats et les données

À 25 ans, Marcus Smith s’impose comme le choix numéro un du XV de la Rose à l’ouverture, malgré la concurrence de George Ford et en dépit des défaites subies en novembre contre la Nouvelle-Zélande (24-22) et l’Australie (42-37).

Le N.10 des Harlequins sera sous étroite surveillance samedi (18h40) à Twickenham face à des Sud-Africains qui pensent bien le connaître. L’entraîneur de la défense Jerry Flannery et le centre Andre Esterhuizen l’ont notamment côtoyé chez les Harlequins, le club de l’Anglais.

« Ils connaissent ses forces et ses faiblesses », a déclaré Mzwandile Stick, l’entraîneur des arrières. « Il (Smith) peut vous mettre en difficulté avec son jeu au pied et si vous lui donnez du temps et de l’espace pour respirer, il vous punira. Nous savons que c’est un demi d’ouverture de classe mondiale », a-t-il reconnu.

Durant le dernier Tournoi des Six Nations, Smith avait notamment privé l’Irlande de Grand Chelem en inscrivant à la sirène le drop de la victoire (23-22). Contre l’Australie, le week-end dernier, il a été impliqué dans quatre des cinq essais anglais.

ADVERTISEMENT

Visionnez gratuitement le documentaire en cinq épisodes “Chasing the Sun 2” sur RugbyPass TV (*non disponible en Afrique), qui raconte le parcours des Springboks dans leur quête pour défendre avec succès leur titre de Champions du monde de rugby

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Commentaires

0 Comments
Soyez le premier à commenter...

Inscrivez-vous gratuitement et dites-nous ce que vous en pensez vraiment !

Inscription gratuite
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 57 minutes ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

What's wrong with that? Hoskins Sotutu could be selected for the Maori All Blacks, then go on latter and move to England and represent them, then once his career in England (no longer at that standard) is over move to Japan and finish his career playing for Fiji. Why should he not be able to represent any or all of those teams?

just playing for a pro-club a few years is no valid reason in my opinion

Ah, yes, you just have the wrong end of the stick. This has nothing to do with club footy (and can't really happen anymore), for example if the countries involved allowed it, Hoskins could represent all his national teams while playing for say, Moana Pacifika (a team unrelated to any nation). He is playing for countries because they mean something to him, ie like Ardiea Savea's decision, they just want to contribute something to their Island heritage. It's not like Fiji are going to ring the worlds best number 8 by that point in his career.


I do understand where you're coming from though (as what you're thinking was the case a while ago), but the world is changing more. Take this Sotutu England situation, this is becoming less and less likely from happening (at least in this example anyway), as the England Rugby union is not more in charge of payments and not seen as just icing on the cake to a massive club deal (that's how the English game got itself broke in the first place), and nations like Ireland have stated they are no longer going to look offshore etc. So the landscape is improving slowly.


This is all hypothetical remember. Sotutu is most likely to become a key All Black this year as he's the perfect foil a team with tyro's like Sititi, Lakai, Savea is going to need.

26 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

The 14-time All Black is contracted with New Zealand Rugby until 2026 after signing a two-year deal in May 2024.

None of the players on this list who are contracted to NZR can play for another nation Jed, part of their contract (any in NZ) is declaring for the All Blacks.


I doubt Sotutu would represent England either, they have to be one of the most stacked nations for flankers already, far more likely to be an AB. Plus (if he were to play for England this year) they would have to spend a huge amount to get him out of that declaration contract with NZR and they are already skint.


It does raise the interesting question of what sort of ratio/balance England players make up their pay from now, it has heavily increased towards International side (even if they don't win caps)? That would make it even hard, has previoulsy I think most people switching (like Shields) just viewed playing for England as icing on the cake, and the club deals themselves had to provide compeling (money) reason to leave NZ.


The three examples I'm most excited about would be if Sotutu signs in Japan with a view to playing at the highest level with Fiji (easy to see he will only be a bit part All Black unless things really go his way) in time for 2027 (NZR could even work out a 'fair play' deal with Fiji and Japan to allow him to represent earlier), and I think Shaun Stevenson has some island (Samoa) eligibility and could play from next year, alongside Ioane. Currently the Island teams are still not getting much respect from their players, and possibly that due to the unions themselves prioritizing local and WC focus, so with WR stepping up and returning the PNC with some meaning, in line for the Nations Cup, it's a great time for NZ and Australia to step up and take a lead too. Really get involved in raising profile say a tournament in Melbourne (who provide a local team themselves) that has like a Maori All Black quality invitation side included to raise the PNCs profile.


Even someone like Bower is well in the All Black frame still, but why not NZR say do a deal with Japan (for the local scene) and Fiji, say along the lines of the recent Stevenson deal with he plays both the JRLO and most of Super Rugby. He is a bit of a talisman, doing the All Black social videos during the Rugby World Cup, he could continue to link well with all three nations, added much needed experience to NZ development sides young players, Captaining the Drua and Fiji, and doing fan engagement work in Japan while playing etc (not sure if he was looking long term into that as a career, it would be good experience). Imagine the quality him, Sotutu, big Gus, drawing more quality in some of Flying Fijian's european stars coming back. Actually allow them to creaet a business product, as currently their ownly value is being opposition to other teams (playing overseas in places like San Diego). Actually give them a competition and players the rest of the world wants to pay money to watch.

26 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Lewis Chessum quits Leicester for Japan, eyes 2025/26 Prem return Lewis Chessum quits Leicester for Japan, eyes 2025/26 Prem return
Search