{"id":292212,"date":"2023-10-19T17:42:59","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T17:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=292212"},"modified":"2023-10-19T17:42:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T17:42:59","slug":"steve-borthwick-explains-marcus-smiths-absence-from-england-team-to-face-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/rugby-union\/steve-borthwick-explains-marcus-smiths-absence-from-england-team-to-face-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Borthwick explains Marcus Smith\u2019s absence from England team to face South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\u201cMarcus was unavailable for selection due to the return to play protocols,\u201d England head coach Borthwick clarified.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe took a knock in the [Fiji] game. As you are well aware, he passed the first parts of the HIA process which meant he finished the game. Then there are subsequent parts of the HIA process and one part of that, he did not pass. And then it was confirmed to me he was unavailable for selection. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe is perfectly fine in terms of symptoms \u2013 he doesn\u2019t feel anything. And I understand we\u2019d expect him to be available for selection after this weekend. Player welfare is critical and vital to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steward\u2019s return comes a week after the Leicester youngster was dropped from the England side for the first time in his international career.<\/p>\n

The full-back had started 29 of 30 fixtures since his test debut, missing only the pool stage game against Chile when England utilised a rotated team.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Freddie Steward has been brought back into England\u2019s starting side <\/p>\n

Head coach Borthwick believes the manner in which Steward responded to that disappointment is indicative of his character.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything that\u2019s been challenged to him, you ask him to get better at, he goes and gets better at,\u201d said Borthwick, who worked closely with Steward while Leicester coach. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt training today he was straight away out on the field, trying to improve right from the start, even before the session, he\u2019s working hard, to improve as a player. And that\u2019s great credit to him and his professionalism.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first game coaching Leicester, I was going through the selection process and [discussed] this young man, Freddie Steward, that I\u2019d not known a huge amount before,<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was new to the squad, from school and out of the academy. Coming to the first game and I am deciding who to play at 15, and I didn\u2019t pick him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI watched his face when I told him he wasn\u2019t picked in that game in 2020, and I thought this guy wants the challenge. This guys wants it, it doesn\u2019t matter how old he is, he is ready for this. So the next week I put him in and from that point on he has just been brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

England take on South Africa at the Stade de France on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cMarcus was unavailable for selection due to the return to play protocols,\u201d England head coach Borthwick clarified. \u201cHe took a knock in the [Fiji] game. 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