Marcus Smith looks to Farrell’s ‘edge’ for partnership against Australia

If England are to return from Australia victorious this summer then it is almost an understatement to say the fledgling partnership between Marcus Smith and Owen Farrell needs to develop into a formidable double act. It is a truism that England will rely on their forward muscle, their kicking prowess and their set-piece grunt against the wily Wallabies but despite the importance of those parts of the game, so much rides on whether Smith and Farrell hit it off on the pitch.

They have managed only 68 minutes at 10-12 for England so far together, as it turns out, against Australia in the autumn - a comprehensive victory for Eddie Jones’s side and a qualified success for the Smith-Farrell axis. The idea is that Farrell can step in at first receiver during structured play while Smith lurks, scanning for space and waiting for the opportunity with that little bit more time. Sounds simple enough on paper but lest we forget they did not have Samu Kerevi lining them up back in November and it is a surefire bet they will see plenty of the Australia centre in the coming weeks.

Without Manu Tuilagi at outside centre, the importance of the two men inside whoever wears the No 13 jersey is heightened and though Jones will keep his cards close to his chest over selection - to the extent he has not publicly named his tour captain - he has been candid over his plans for Smith and Farrell, who have been wasting little opportunity to get themselves on the same page.

“He’s a brilliant player,” said Smith of Farrell. “He’s a massive competitor and wears his heart on his sleeve. More than that he’s got brilliant vision and skills at the line. Hopefully we can put our competitive edge together to try and get a Test series win. We’ve spoken long