England squad: Will Marcus Smith selection spark a more attack-minded approach?

Marcus Smith's flair and imagination could change the way England play

Eddie Jones' decision to drop a host of big names for the upcoming autumn Tests reiterates his desire to freshen up a squad he says has become "a bit mature" since the march to the World Cup final in 2019.

In truth, England have failed to fire consistently since Japan two years ago, picking up wins in prosaic style through 2020 before a chastening fifth-placed Six Nations finish in 2021.

For right or wrong, Jones and the Rugby Football Union are fixated with the next World Cup in France, so with two years to go, the England boss has made his move, jettisoning George Ford, Jamie George and the Vunipolas despite their decent club form and all of them being 30 or under.

So who will benefit from their absence? And is it just about personnel, or do England also need a tactical rethink?

• Rugby Union Weekly: Jones talks Smith, Radwan and his England squad

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'Smith is a potential leader'

With 77-cap Ford left out, Jones has paved the way for rising star Marcus Smith to play at number 10, and has challenged the 22-year-old Harlequin to translate his authority at club level onto the international scene.

"I've been following him pretty closely since I saw him as a schoolboy in 2015," Jones explained on the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.

"I thought he went through quite a difficult time at Quins for a period where he lost his way a little bit and he wasn't himself, and now he's found himself.

"And then when he came into camp with us [in the summer], he was absolutely outstanding. Hard working, humble, but with a bit of edge about him."

As was the case with Maro Itoje in 2016, Jones has bided his time with Smith, only handing him his first couple of caps in the summer Tests against the USA and Canada.

"He's obviously a very good player, but the talent is one thing. It is how you handle the rest of the stuff that's important," Jones added.

"That was one of the reasons we didn't select Marcus for a little while, because I wanted him to learn his craft - and I think he did that really well at Harlequins and became a leader at Harlequins.

"Now he's got the confidence, being a leader in that team, to come forward and be a potential leader at England."

Marcus Smith and Danny Care celebrate after Harlequins beat Exeter in the Premiership final at Twickenham in June

'We want to be aggressive in attack'

Picking a player of Smith's intuitiveness could be futile if England are to adopt the kick-first strategy of the past couple of years, with his Harlequins half-back partner Danny Care urging the England set-up to hand Smith responsibility to run the attack alongside captain Owen Farrell.

"I've been in so many squads with Owen and George, and those two, along with Eddie, decide how we are going to attack," Care said on Rugby Union Weekly.

"Other 10s don't really get a look in. Those lads have done incredibly well for England, so I think without George being there, Marcus is going to have different ideas, and I hope Marcus' ideas are listened to and acted on.

"And I think playing Marcus inside Owen will bring the best out of Owen Farrell. I think you will see a different Owen Farrell this autumn."

England supporters hoping to see a more attack-minded approach come November will be buoyed by Jones' latest utterances regarding the current state of the game - with referees encouraged to favour quick ball at the breakdown and speed the game up.

"99.9% of the Tests, up until this year, were won by the team who kicked the most," Jones explained.

"Now it is starting to even out, teams with a balance between running and kicking have got a greater chance of winning Test matches.

"There are opportunities now to attack more, and we want to be really aggressive in how we attack."

Jones has picked two razor-sharp young scrum-halves - Harry Randall and Raffi Quirke - to capitalise on this, while the Newcastle winger Adam Radwan is another inexperienced player with an unusual amount of speed.

"If you get quicker ball you need a half-back who can run. Both those two boys have those attributes there," Jones said.

"Radwan could be like a [South Africa superstar Cheslin] Kolbe. Small, but dynamic, with quick feet, and if he is one-on-one he is going to beat you.

"One of the greatest tips I ever got was from [feted former Australia coach] Bob Dwyer, who said to always pick the players with the things you can't coach."

'Leadership will reflect diversity'

With the Vunipolas, George and Ford all left out, England will need to establish a new leadership group, especially given the scrutiny on Farrell's captaincy after a tough Six Nations for the Saracen.

Problem-solving on the pitch has been an issue for years, with England often unable to swing momentum back their way when under pressure.

Jones said there was no doubt about sticking with Farrell - "the best man for the job" - but the coach has "some ideas about who can step forward" as he looks to unearth new leaders.

"If you look at the squad, it has become a lot more diverse, and the leadership needs to match the diversity," he said.

"Diversity in terms of age, background, racial mix - it is probably the most diverse squad we have had for England, certainly under my time, and the leadership needs to be able to reflect that diversity."

Australia and South Africa travel to London battle-hardened and buoyed by recent Rugby Championship victories, while England's last full-blooded Test match was a meek performance in Dublin in March.

It's set up to be a fascinating autumn.