England fans turn one player during Scotland clash - but it's 'Borthwick's fault'

Rugby News
Saturday, 22 February 2025 at 17:33
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England fans weren’t impressed with Marcus Smith’s performance at fullback during the first half against Scotland at the Allianz Stadium. The talented fly-half seemed out of place and often struggled defensively.
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One fan vented: "England looking absolutely terrible. I actually feel sorry for Marcus Smith, he's so out of his depth at fullback."
Another added: "Picking Marcus Smith as your last line of defence against players like Duhan Van der Merwe? Yeah, that’s going well."
One fan said: "Marcus Smith at 15? Completely wrong, looks lost."
Another commented: "Honestly, never thought I’d say this, but Marcus Smith needs to get off the pitch! Get Daly on!! Can’t believe I’ve just typed that!"
One fan echoed similar frustrations: "Marcus Smith is having another nightmare out of position. Not his fault, but it’s just not his role."
A Fullback Fiasco?
And another said: "Marcus Smith is possibly the worst fullback I’ve ever seen!"
The biggest question on fans’ minds? "What is Borthwick thinking? Why is Smith playing 15? Idiot."

Five players Borthwick must drop despite Scotland win – who should replace them

England edged towards the business end of the Six Nations in contention for the title as Finn Russell missed a 79th-minute conversion and Scotland’s Calcutta Cup winning streak ended at Allianz Stadium.
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Tries from Ben White and Huw Jones gave the dominant visitors a three-point half-time lead, but England hung in the fight and got the better of the breakdown after the break.
A pair of penalties from Marcus Smith and a booming kick from halfway from Fin Smith put England 16-10 clear going into the final nine minutes.
Yet Scotland shot back with wing Duhan van der Merwe going over in the corner after replacement Stafford McDowall had cantered through the heart of England's defence.
But, as Allianz Stadium held its breath, Russell, who had missed two previous shots off the tee, pushed a potentially match-winning conversion inches wide of the left upright.
Despite the win, the bench once again got a misfiring starting XV out of jail.
With England still in the title race, this article also takes a look at five players who should be dropped ahead of the next round.

#1. Marcus Smith

Mail Online 5.5/10: "Repeatedly tested and troubled by Scottish high kicks then sliced a clearance before fast break nearly set up a try. Kept probing from deep."
Express 5/10: "Run over by Van der Merwe for Scots’ second and butchered one try"
Telegraph 6/10: "Something for both the lovers and the haters. Acted as a speed bump for Van der Merwe and sliced one kick out of play but produced a couple of electric runs."
Replacement: Freddie Steward

#2. Henry Slade

Mail Online 5/10: "Kicked away possession early on and few chances to dictate and distribute. Spent his time living off scraps in midfield and scrambling to contain Scots."
Telegraph 4/10: "If ever a moment summed up Slade it was him stopping Russell’s penalty making touch and then shanking his own kick out. Made a couple of other costly errors."
Replacement: Elliot Daly

#3. Alex Mitchell

Mail Online 5/10: "The sight of him sending an endless stream of box kicks skywards began to irritate the crowd and the first boos rang out soon after half-time."
Rugby Pass 5/10: "Slow and ponderous at times, which meant England had very little momentum in the first half. His box-kicking was not effective enough to help England work their way out of their half, as it took him a while to find his range. Injected a bit more tempo in the second 40, but it was not his finest afternoon. Failed to win over the Twickenham crowd."
Replacement: Harry Randall

#3. Luke Cowan-Dickie

Express 5/10: "Replaced after 44 minutes and not as effective as he was against French"
Replacement: Jamie George

#5. Ollie Sleightholme

Mail Online 5/10: "Culpable when Scotland scored first try; with loose kick and missed tackle. Had a few more erratic moments as the hosts were stretched out wide."
Express 5/10: "Struggled defending against high ball and replaced very early in second half"
Telegraph 5/10: "A willing but limited chaser of high balls. Barely involved in an attacking sense and replaced early in the second half."
Replacement: Tom Roeb

Fan creates insanely tough quiz about Six Nations and says 'you won't get all five'

Since its origins as the Home Nations Championship in 1883, the Six Nations has grown into one of the most iconic tournaments in rugby, filled with legendary moments, unforgettable upsets, and record-breaking performances.
Think you know your Six Nations history? Test your knowledge and see if you can prove them wrong!

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