Extract from article in this morning's DT.
Harlequins have been left confused and frustrated ahead of this weekend’s London derby after they were barred from picking Marcus Smith, even though Saracens will welcome back five England stars.
Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola all start for Mark McCall’s side with Mako Vunipola and Jamie George named among the replacements. Each of these men toured Australia in July and featured in a hard-fought Test series alongside Smith.
However, the 23-year-old fly-half has not been granted special dispensation to appear in what promises to be a tantalising Premiership fixture on Saturday at the Twickenham Stoop, risking further debate over the integrity of rest protocols for elite players.