1. Marcus Smith at fullback
Smith has played at fullback for both club and country with some very mixed results. When given the opportunity, he is dangerous in space and brings a new dimension to the attack. His weaknesses at the position come in defence. His height and lack of experience at the position mean that he can be vulnerable under the high ball which is not something that you want from a fullback. Andy Farrell has said that Smith's versatility was one of the reasons he was selected so clearly this is something we could see more often. The person who is probably most excited to see it is Steve Borthwick who can see how Smith performs in this position at a high level without having to take the flack for selecting him in that position. Keenan and Kinghorn are the clear favourites for this spot but Smith brings something different to the team and could be used as a bench option for certain scenarios.
2. "Akipulotu" centre partnership
This is what I, and a lot of people, are most excited to see in this game. These two are absolute powerhouses who will take no prisoners. If this partnership works, it could be a defining characteristic of this tour. This game is a great opportunity to these two to dominate with Argentina's star centre, Chocobares, being unavailable due to playing for Toulouse in their Top 14 campaign - much like Blair Kinghorn for the Lions.
3.Smith/Mitchell half-back pairing
The fly-half battle is probably going to be won by Finn Russell and the scrum-half battle will probably be won by Jameson Gibson-Park. However, Mitchell and Smith have had success together for both Northampton and England. The pairing can force their way onto the bench at minimum but could also use their chemistry as a tool to force their way into the XV.
Add comment
Comments