The Portuguese sun is washing over Marcus Smith and, he hopes, washing away any of the darker memories of a topsy-turvy campaign.

Up close, England’s star player at No 10 appears unfazed by the challenges of losing his starting position, being repositioned, and then benched.

At the British & Irish Lions training camp in Quinta do Lago in the Algarve, Smith is calm, cheerful, and sociable, heavily influenced by the badge on his shirt. Indeed, a call-up to the Lions tends to alleviate worries.

Smith, a two-time Lion, has chosen to remain silent throughout 2025, avoiding media interviews to concentrate on his responsibilities on the field. But now, he’s prepared to share his thoughts.

‘This year has been challenging for me. But it has also taught me a lot,’ Smith, 26, tells Mail Sport.

‘I can name other years that have been challenging too – my second year at Harlequins and the first two years with England were the same. There have been some ups, some downs, but that’s life. The biggest lesson this season has taught me is resilience.

Marcus Smith has long been proclaimed as English rugby’s poster boy

Handed a senior debut at 22 in 2021 by Eddie Jones, his majestic talent saw him earmarked for stardom

Mail Sport’s Alex Bywater sits down with Smith, who has previously kept his counsel in 2025

‘I’ve been able to deal with things better this year because of my mindset, my support network and working with different people inside and outside rugby. That has helped me open my mind and broaden my thinking.’

Smith has long been proclaimed as English rugby’s poster boy. Handed a senior debut at 22 in 2021 by Eddie Jones, his majestic talent saw him earmarked for stardom and when Owen Farrell stepped away from Test rugby after the 2023 World Cup, it seemed the England fly-half spot was Smith’s for the taking.

He was backed by head coach Steve Borthwick through the majority of 2024, slotting a match-winning drop-goal in a thrilling Six Nations win over Ireland. Last autumn, he was a leading light in a disappointing campaign, which resulted in defeats by New Zealand, South Africa and, most concerningly, a weak Australia side.

And when the Six Nations came round again, he was replaced as his country’s fly-half by Fin Smith, shifted to full-back, and sometimes the bench. For the Quins man, who is already a veteran of the national team with 44 caps, it was tough to take. Did it affect his confidence and self-belief?

‘That’s natural when things don’t go to plan,’ he says, candidly. ‘But now I understand the journey to reaching your goals and becoming a better player is going to be up and down. It’s not going to be a straight line.

‘Once I was selected for the Lions, I relaxed my shoulders a bit and it gave me a bit of confidence again. It’s hard throughout a season to stay confident and back yourself.

‘The Lions reinvigorated me and gave me a new lease of life. I’ve rebuilt my faith in God. My mum, Suzanne, is very religious. I try to pray with her and go to church as much as I can.

‘That gives me peace in my mind and in my heart. I have a tattoo of prayer hands and another with the initials of my parents and brothers with a Bible verse underneath. I trust in God’s plan and that he is there for me.

Smith was a late Lions call-up for the 2021 tour of South Africa, replacing Finn Russell

Marcus was replaced as his country’s fly-half by Fin Smith, shifted to full-back, and sometimes the bench

Up close, England’s superstar No 10 shows no marks of the stresses and strains that came from losing his starting shirt

‘As well as that, I work with Jonny Wilkinson week in, week out. His knowledge, experience and wisdom are super valuable for me.

‘I work with a couple of performance coaches as well who have helped me deal with my ups and downs through breathing, note-taking and visualisation. That’s allowed me to stay as level as I can.’

After a period of strife and understandable frustration, Smith has his mojo back. And that is good news for Harlequins and England, but more pressingly the Lions and their head coach Andy Farrell, as he prepares his team for next Friday’s Dublin clash with Argentina and then the hotly anticipated tour of Australia.

Smith’s in-and-out season with England and positional yo-yoing meant he faced an anxious wait to see if he would earn Lions selection. It was by no means certain.

Asked how he sees his future at Test level, Smith is to the point.

‘I’m a 10 who can play 15,’ he says. ‘I want to play 10, though. I feel I’m a better player now because I’ve been able to play 15 a little bit and see the game from a different perspective. To be able to be versatile has helped me.

‘As well as that, I’ve now got a mentality where I can roll with the punches. That’s something I try to hang my hat on now. I’ve grown as a player and person.

‘I don’t know if playing 15 has played a role in me being selected for the Lions. But for me to be sitting here now leaves me excited for what’s to come on this tour, whatever position I end up playing in for the Lions.

Smith’s in-and-out season with England and positional yo-yoing meant he faced an anxious wait to see if he would earn Lions selection

Now he is ‘absolutely buzzing’ to be back in the Lions jersey for the tour of Australia

Smith enjoys the camaraderie of the Lions squad and says: ‘Friendship is something I really want to get out of this tour’

‘I still have to pinch myself sometimes that I’m playing with some amazing players from all four nations. It’s a dream come true. I’m absolutely buzzing. I’m really excited for the challenge ahead and hopefully pulling on the famous red jersey again.’

Smith’s form suffered after he lost his England No 10 spot. The best position for a player who was already dividing opinion at fly-half has been a subject of intense debate.

His ability to play off the cuff and pull a rabbit from a hat with his creativity and running threat means he has a point of difference few in world rugby can compete with.

But some, including it seems the man who matters most, Borthwick, believe Fin Smith’s more controlled game suits England better. The younger Smith’s success in the Six Nations, and in leading Northampton to a Champions Cup final, have put him above Marcus in the pecking order.

But Marcus Smith’s world-class ability is an asset to any team, regardless of whether he wears the 10, 15 or 23 shirt. Andy Farrell clearly thinks so.

Smith was a late Lions call-up for the 2021 tour of South Africa, replacing the injured Finn Russell, and kicked seven conversions from seven in the final warm-up game, a 49-3 thrashing of the Stormers, but he did not make any of the Test squads.

Four years later, he is in from the off as one of three fly-halves in the squad alongside Russell and Fin Smith, ahead ahead of Farrell’s star Irish pupil Sam Prendergast, who went from shoo-in to an outcast after a wobbly finish to the Six Nations and some poor defensive displays at Leinster.

‘It’s an absolute honour and privilege to be selected,’ Marcus says. ‘I watched the announcement with my girlfriend and my mum. I had training in the morning at Harlequins then I bolted home after kicking practice.

He is one of three fly-halves in the Lions squad alongside Finn Russell and Fin Smith

Smith endured a frustrating season at club level, with Harlequins missing out on the Premiership play-offs

But he slotted a match-winning drop-goal in the thrilling Six Nations win over Ireland

‘I was anxious and really nervous for that selection. I’ve worked hard over the last four years to put myself in with an opportunity for the Lions, so it was a long wait. I was just hoping.

‘To hear my name while being with my loved ones was a special feeling, a massive relief and an honour. I was buzzing. It means a lot to pull on this kit. To look down at my chest and see this badge is special. It’s now time to work and make it happen. It’s slightly different to 2021 because I can get to know the boys from the start.

‘Obviously, the last time was an amazing experience. To take to the field in the famous red jersey was a dream come true. It makes me quite emotional speaking about it.

‘We spoke a lot at the start of this week about what it means to be a Lion. We go hammer and tongs at each other year in, year out in the Six Nations. There are big rivalries and things that happen on the field. Now to be in the same room as Lions team-mates with the same goal is something that’s so exciting.

‘Friendship is something I really want to get out of this tour. There is no better group to do it with. The boys here are really open and keen to share. That’s important so we can get on the same page as soon as possible.’

That cohesion will be crucial to end 12 years without the Lions winning a Test series, since their last visit to Australia in 2013. This year, they are in the unusual position of being favourites against a side ranked eighth in the world.

The Campus training centre sprawling around us is the height of luxury. The Lions have shared the state-of-the-art facility with Newcastle United footballers Lewis Hall and Matt Targett this week, while Burnley manager Scott Parker has also been on site using the padel and tennis courts.

Smith and the Lions, meanwhile, have been hard at work. Both Smiths have been kicking closely with former Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton, who is an assistant to Farrell, on the Algarve ahead of the Argentina game. In his downtime, Smith has opted for cards with his new team-mates, staying away from the padel courts and golf courses.

Andy Farrell’s 24-man squad training in Portugal this week is without his players from Bath, Leicester and Leinster

Both Smiths have been kicking with former Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton, who is an assistant to Farrell

Smith says ‘to be in the same room as Lions team-mates (captain Maro Itoje pictured) with the same goal is something that’s so exciting’

His namesake Fin has snatched the England fly-half mantle but there are no hard feelings towards a player three years his junior, and on a first Lions tour.

‘When Fin first came into England camp a couple of years ago, I enjoyed his energy and the fact he worked hard,’ Marcus says. ‘We see rugby in a similar way and we’re good mates. We want to move the ball to space and play what’s in front of us. He’s done a brilliant job.

‘Learning off him and chatting with him have been great for my development. Going up against him in training has been good. Competition is good. The openness of our communication is also helpful, not just for us but the whole back line.’

Andy Farrell’s 24-man squad training in Portugal this week is without his players from Bath, Leicester and Leinster who are involved in the finals of the Premiership and the United Rugby Championship on Saturday. The full party will then convene in Dublin on Sunday night before next week’s Argentina game and the subsequent departure for Australia.

Smith also endured a frustrating season at club level, with Harlequins missing out on the Premiership play-offs. But as a result he’s been with the Lions from the get-go, while Russell is focused elsewhere trying to end Bath’s 29-year Premiership title drought. It means Smith is a strong contender to start against Argentina on June 20, either at 10 or 15.

His status as one of rugby’s leading lights means he would be a big-name target for rugby’s new R360 breakaway league, which is promising million-pound salaries to star names as part of a travelling roadshow where teams would play 14 fixtures a year at the world’s biggest stadiums.

World Cup winner Mike Tindall, heading up the project with ex-rugby agent Mark Spoors, is said to be targeting the likes of Smith, his England and Lions captain Maro Itoje and the best player in the world, Antoine Dupont.

‘It’s always exciting for us as players when you hear about things like this,’ he says. ‘It comes from a good place in terms of trying to grow the game and attract the next generation to rugby. I haven’t been communicated to about it.

‘New ideas like this put pressure on existing ideas to have a rethink. Maybe it will get rugby in a positive light and get people speaking about it more, which can only be a good thing.’

Mike Tindall, heading up rugby’s new R360 breakaway league, is said to be targeting Smith

France’s Antoine Dupont, the best player in the world, is also on Tindall’s radar

The breakaway league is reported to be targeting England and Lions skipper Itoje, too

His Premiership form undoubtedly improved at the end of the season, following Lions selection. While the debate around him has swirled constantly throughout his career, the proof of his standing in the game is also ever-present – whether it be from rebel leagues or the ultimate test of the Lions.

‘You’re never as good as you think you are or people say you are – or as bad,’ Smith says. ‘The Lions has obviously been on my mind for a while.

‘Australia over the last year and a half or two years have improved massively. Their Super Rugby teams have improved as well and that will correlate directly to the Wallabies side. They’ve got some unbelievable players and good power.

‘But we’re not looking too far ahead. We’ve got a massive game next week against Argentina. They’ve only played the Lions once, so this game will mean the world to them. But it will be the same for us. Everyone has worked so hard to be here and we want to make the most of it. We all want to put the Lions in a better position than they were last time.’