- Former captain backs Owen Farrell to continue as his successor
- Hartley sees an England side with Smith at 10 and Farrell at 12
Owen Farrell is only getting better as he enters his 30s and deserves to lead the England team into the 2023 Rugby World Cup, according to his predecessor, Dylan Hartley. However, Hartley believes the autumn internationals offer the perfect time to switch Farrell to inside centre so that the brilliant young fly-half Marcus Smith can have an extended run at No 10.
Hartley knows all too well that Eddie Jones culled a number of senior players, including himself, James Haskell and Chris Robshaw, as the last Rugby World Cup started to loom into view. Yet he believes that Farrell still has plenty to offer, despite the emergence of the 22-year-old Smith.
