England rugby’s head coach Eddie Jones has argued that while he finds Marcus Smith as a “brilliant” 10 but he says he can only be more effective with a 12 like Owen Farrell. He said that every brilliant 10 needs a stable 12 to have a bigger influence. He said with Farrell, the pressure on Smith will be reduced and the team can achieve a better balance that way.
Every brilliant 10 in the history of the game has been accompanied by a stable 12 That's the combination I think we need to have, and Owen brings that at 12. He is going to be an important player for Marcus. Marcus could be an absolutely brilliant 10, but he needs to have a guy next to him who is going to run the game for him - and that is where Owen is so good.
Eddie Jones, Head Coach, England’s Rugby