marcus smith He was removed from the England squad for the second time Six Nations with fallow week George Ford preferred as Steve Borthwickwith the second fly-halle Owen Farrell.
Smith, who started every game for England in tenth in 2022, is not on a training roster to meet in Brighton, another indication of how Smith’s stock has fallen since Borthwick’s arrival in December.
After falling into the bench, clowns the playmaker made only short appearances against Italy and Wales with only 14 seconds of action Despite a day off from kick tee for Captain Farrell At the Principality Stadium.
Ford’s recent return to action after a long hiatus following an Achilles injury prompted Borthwick to remove the 24-year-old from the 26-player training group.
Wing Max Malins will not be able to attend camp in Brighton due to an ankle injury and Jonny May will be recalled to the England squad for the first time under Steve Borthwick.
Center Manu Tuilagi will also train with the squad, despite being suspended after being kicked out with the Sale jersey.
“The performance against Wales was gratifying in many ways,” said Borthwick. “It was nice to see the hard work the team put in on the training ground reflected in a well-deserved and hard-won victory.
“Decreased number of fallow week squads, injuries and the fact that we want some players to spend valuable game minutes with their clubs means that the squad assembled in Brighton has a slightly different feel. We are very pleased to welcome Jonny May back.
“Players and coaches alike are looking forward to another three days of focused training before the entire squad regroups at Pennyhill Park on Sunday, in anticipation of our continued preparations for the rest of what has proven to be a fantastic Six Nations tournament”.
Smith’s release frees the fly-half for the Harlequins to play in their annual “Big Game” fixture Saturday at Twickenham, where they will play against Exeter as part of the club’s women’s doubles match.
Coincidentally, England’s fallow week training will be held at Brighton College, Smith’s former school, where he was first identified as a player with international potential by former England head coach Eddie Jones.
After this week’s activity on the south coast, Britain will reconvene on Monday to step up its preparations for an important test. He will face France at Twickenham on Saturday, 11 March.
Borthwick’s team bounced back from an opening defeat against Scotland by beating Italy and Wales, but ended their campaign against what’s probably the best two in the world with a trip to Ireland over the weekend for St Patrick’s, which ended their championship.