Marcus Smith has given England head coach Steve Borthwick a strong reminder of his credentials at fly-half as uncertainty surrounds Fin Smith’s availability for Sunday’s match against Australia.
It has been 21 months since the Harlequins player last started for England at number 10. After the 2025 Six Nations defeat by Ireland, he fell behind Fin Smith and George Ford and was subsequently used at full-back or as a replacement. He even covered scrum-half against Fiji during the summer.
However, Smith has been central to Harlequins’ recent improvement after missing the opening two Premiership matches. In the victory over Exeter, his support play helped create Cadan Murley’s early try, while a late move to the blindside opened the way for Jack Kenningham to score. Smith also helped manage the game as Harlequins recovered from an early seven-point deficit.
Borthwick will also have noted the contribution of several young English-qualified forwards in a more ruthless Harlequins performance. The visitors scored five tries from seven visits to Exeter’s 22-metre area, while the Chiefs managed four tries from 13 entries.
Leicester moved to the top of the Premiership after another forceful display. Their only defeat so far came against Saracens in the opening round, when they lost 40-38, but they have since built a run of strong performances.
Ollie Chessum made an immediate impact after returning from a foot injury in Leicester’s win over Northampton the previous weekend. In the East Midlands derby against Bristol, he charged down Harry Randall early on, disrupted the home side’s line-out and won two turnovers. A brief confrontation with England team-mate Ellis Genge ended with smiles rather than further trouble.
The performance underlined Chessum’s importance to Leicester and followed the announcement of a new contract last week. His physicality and energy have made him a prominent figure in the Tigers’ forward pack.
Northampton were forced to find a different route to victory against Gloucester after their attacking game was repeatedly slowed at the breakdown. Gloucester’s Val Rapava-Ruskin, Jack Clement and Dewi Lake all made significant jackal turnovers during a closely contested opening hour.
Northampton did not enter Gloucester’s 22 until the 34th minute, but two rolling mauls brought them level at half-time. Late tries from George Hendy and Rory Hutchinson secured a bonus-point win. The result suggested that opponents may continue to target Northampton’s breakdown work and attempt to disrupt their normally open attacking style.
Finn Russell was at the centre of the weekend’s most discussed incident during Bath’s match against Sale. After Bath regained the lead, the Scotland fly-half collected George Ford’s chip ahead. As the referee awarded Sale a penalty, Russell knocked Ford to the ground with a shoulder before dropping the ball onto his head as the Sale player tried to rise.
A melee followed, but Russell was not penalised. Referee Anthony Woodthorpe could have advanced Sale up the field for an apparent breach of sporting conduct, potentially giving them a close-range line-out opportunity. Sale did not convert a similar position several minutes later, and the decision did not alter the result, but the incident raised questions about whether such taunts should be punished or accepted as part of rugby’s physical edge.
Max Hicks continued to impress for Newcastle Red Bulls in their match against Saracens. The Auckland-born back-rower, who qualifies for England through his mother, made two turnovers, carried for 56 metres from 11 attempts and showed his line-out ability, developed through his background in high-level Australian Rules football.
Newcastle led for much of the contest, but second-half yellow cards for Sam Graham and Alex Hearle changed the game. Saracens scored four of their six tries during a 17-minute spell when Newcastle had at least one player in the sin-bin.
Newcastle remain bottom of the table heading into the international break, although they are only one point behind Exeter and Sale. Their performances have created a sense that progress may be developing despite their position.
The weekend also renewed discussion about rugby’s approach to fashion and kit design. Bath back-rower Miles Reid previously questioned why rugby had not made more of the popularity of traditional collared shirts, unlike football and Formula 1, which have produced limited-edition collaborations.
Bristol revived the use of letters instead of numbers on the backs of their shirts for their match against Leicester, while Saracens wore a traditional hooped design during their 150th anniversary season. Premiership Rugby also used vintage numbers at its season launch, although clubs have yet to make a wider breakthrough that could raise the sport’s profile beyond the field.
Sources: BBC Sport.