Smith: Premiership comes before international rugby
New Harlequins signing Ollie Smith says he will have to play well at Harlequins before he can think about featuring in Martin Johnson's England plans.
Smith has previously played in the Premiership with Leicester before moving to France for a brief spell with Montpellier. He clearly has England ambitions and will want to increase on the five caps that he has already won for his country.
Moving to Harlequins is a very shrewd move because Smith is at a club where he should get a starting place if he performs well over the course of pre-season. This will allow him to attack the Premiership and grab Martin Johnson's attention.
He has a number of playing qualities that should ensure he does well at Harlequins. However, there are a lot of people who have talked about their England aspirations so far during pre-season.
Playing qualities
Smith has a great deal of experience for someone who is only 27 years of age. He played 174 times for Leicester between 2000 and 2008 and this would have let him build a knowledge of domestic rugby in England. He can use this to read the play well during high pressure games and get into the right positions.
He cuts a very lean and fit figure. It's clear that he is very quick on his feet and dodges tackles with ease. His pace allows him to burst through gaps and the 185 points that he scored at Leicester proves that he knows how to dart for the try line.
He will be one of the best passers in the 'Quins team. Any player who plays at outside centre needs to be able to pass the ball in and out without even thinking. His precise passing can be crucial in his team getting out of trouble or making a killer try.
He said: "Every rugby player will say that playing well for your club is the first priority and the international side of things will look after itself. I believe that if I play well then I stand a good shot at getting back in, but I have to do that consistently. Quins have got some hugely talented young players. George Lowe is a fantastic player and a brilliant talent - if a little raw in some respects."
Mustn't take anything for granted
Smith must not take anything for granted because Harlequins have a number of quality players even if they do not have the biggest squad in the world. He has mentioned George Lowe as a threat to his place in the team but he must also keep an eye on Tom Casson and Jordan Turner-Hall.
Smith will have to work very hard to make a starting place at Harlequins a regular thing. He will then have to double his efforts to make sure that he stays there because rugby coaches are not shy of using squad rotation as an excuse to drop players.
He added: "I didn’t play as much in France as I would have liked so it is a case of playing well week in, week out and enjoying it again. Then we’ll see what happens. Sometimes there instances where a coach - whoever that is - doesn’t like you as a player and you are never going to get picked. I’m not saying that is the case now, but Quins are one of the biggest clubs in the Premiership and I’d like to think the coaches will take notice if I play well."
Betting advice
Smith has the ability to score tries and points in any game but he must be in the team first to do this. Your best option here is to wait until Harlequins have played a few games in the season. Take a look at the team sheets for those games and judge whether Smith is having a big impact.
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