1
Watch: Marcus Smith's impressive performance on 150th appearance
By Grant Constable
Harlequins scored 40 unanswered points to overcome Cardiff with a bonus-point Champions Cup victory that saw Marcus Smith making his 150th appearance for the club.
A sold-out Arms Park witnessed an impressive second half showing by Quins, who ran in eight tries for the 54-15 win.
Smith marshalled proceedings and scored 19 points of his own, including a second half try and seven conversions.
"It was a special night tonight. We knew how tough it was going to be, coming away to Cardiff," said the England fly-half post match.
"We knew early we had to silence the crowd, because the crowd play a big part here. I thought the forwards up front really stepped up to the plate, I thought we had dominance there, and our outside backs were electric, so for me it was a joy to be part of.
"To play my 150th for this club, that I love, was special and hopefully many more.
Speaking on the 3G pitch at the Arms Park, which allows for a faster game, Smith was full of praise.
"Obviously it's a fast track here at Cardiff. We trained a little bit on a 3G this week. You're able to throw the ball a bit more, you're able to get more traction under your feet, and the ability to sidestep and do some nice running is a lot easier.
"And like I said, with the outside backs that we've got, they're electric so, give them the ball in space and they can cause some magic. So for me, it made my life very easy.
"For us, at nine and ten, it was a joy to be a part of and nice to score some tries as well."
Trending on RugbyPass
2
England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie's club future appears done
3
Harlequins sign England prop Harry Williams
4
Ex-Scotland captain and British & Irish Lions star Laidlaw dies
5
Latest Comments
Can’t wait. Hard to call even with Munster being away. La Rochelle have been so off the boil recently.
Go to commentsPep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.
His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.
How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.
Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.
His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.
Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.
Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.
Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.
Go to comments