England fly-half Marcus Smith heads into tonight’s Clash of the Capitals acclaimed as rugby’s “new rock star”.
Smith leads Harlequins' attack at Cardiff where victory would book the unbeaten Londoners a Champions Cup quarter-final spot.
Welsh legend Adam Jones coaches Quins and says he is blown away by how Smith has handled the fame game off the field and attention on it more usually associated with Lionel Messi.
Jones said: “The big issue with Marcus is it is almost like Messi in football, the man-marking element.
“Being the new rock star on the scene the attention he is going to have is magnified. For me he is handling it exceptionally well.
“His game management is top drawer and the rest of his game is world class. He is getting a lot of pressure from everywhere and he is handling it incredibly well.”
Quins lead Pool B having won their first two games, including last month’s 43-17 defeat of a depleted Cardiff side.
On Tuesday Smith will be named in England’s squad ahead of his first Six Nations, which kicks off in Scotland on February 5.
So impressive was he for club and country in 2021 that it is easy to forget he is only 22.
“He is incredibly professional, one of the most level-headed kids I have met,” Jones added.
“He has a great family and the boys around him are a good group of mates who keep him grounded.
“He has got the swagger without the arrogance, by which I mean on the field he has got the swagger and arrogance of a good outside-half but off the field he is one of the nicest people you could meet.
“He has matured a lot over the last 18 months. He is playing for England now and in that environment so he has that understanding of the game. He is just going to get better and better.”
Jones, who won a century of caps for Wales and the Lions, knows a bit about star playmakers having been a long-time team mate of Gavin Henson.
“Marcus is a little bit different a personality to Gav,” he said. “He is pretty open and leads the group well, Gav was more of a silent leader, certainly in internationals.
“I guess the attention is the comparison but for me Marcus just wants to keep building and building and trying to be one of the best players in the world, which he is on track to do.”
Rugby’s troubled European Cup competitions resume tonight - despite no official confirmation from organisers.
The French government’s decision yesterday to relax border restrictions mean Newcastle, Bath, Sale and Scarlets can cross the Channel as scheduled.
A boycott by English Premiership clubs was averted after a requirement to quarantine for 48 hours and undertake a PCR test on arrival was ditched.
From this morning vaccinated travellers will gain entry with only proof of a negative test taken 24 hours prior to departure.
There could yet be problems, however, both in Champions and Challenge Cup competitions and the Six Nations, as unvaccinated players must serve a 10-day quarantine.
England hooker Jamie Blamire returns for Newcastle in tonight’s Challenge Cup clash at Biarritz. Mike Brown captains a side showing 11 changes.
The Falcons are unbeaten in the tournament having won their only game so far against Worcester.
Bath are at La Rochelle tomorrow, with Sale and Scarlets at Clermont and Bordeaux respectively on Sunday.
