British and Irish Lions: England's Marcus Smith called up after Russell problem
Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union
England fly-half Marcus Smith will join up with the British and Irish Lions squad in South Africa as fly-half cover for Scotland's Finn Russell.
The 22-year-old was instrumental in Harlequins' run to the Premiership title this season and gained his first Test caps against the United States and Canada.
Smith is required after Russell picked up an Achilles problem which caused him to pull out of his role as a replacement in Saturday's rematch against the Sharks.
Russell, 28, remains on tour.
Smith's free-running style, similar to Russell, brings an attacking threat at 10, however he has only just broken through at international level.
He won his first cap when a new-look England team beat the United States 43-29 earlier this month - and made a second appearance against Canada on Saturday.
England head coach Eddie Jones admitted before the match he was unsure if Smith was ready for the Test stage saying "he's still got a long way to go in his game."
More to follow.
