Smith partnership & Saracens spice - Furbank on life at Quins

In the 10 years he spent in the Franklin's Gardens dressing rooms, George Furbank sang the line plenty of times.

"Big city lights don't bother me," goes Northampton's victory song,, external a version of local anthem The Fields Are Green. "Northampton Saints I'd rather be."

Had Northampton offered him a longer contract at the end of last season, Furbank may still have been with the champions.

They didn't though, and Harlequins did. And suddenly those big city lights beckoned.

"Yeah, the big city lights are a change, but a change I'm enjoying," says Furbank.

"There is just stuff on your doorstep which is unreal - great food spots, good coffee spots. I feel like within 10 minutes I can walk to get anything I need."

The 30-year-old, who grew up in Cambridgeshire, has opted to live nearer to central London, rather than right by Quins' Guildford training base.

After a decade up the line in Northampton, Furbank is now closer to his partner and old school friends.

On the pitch, the move has brought him into tandem with Marcus Smith.

A twin playmaker axis made up of two of England's most extravagantly talented footballers was the concept.

After a Smith-less Quins were thrashed 48-0 by Gloucester on Furbank's debut, some questioned whether such notions were a luxury, given the Londoners' under-powered pack.

But, once they got to play together, the duo's attack has been their defence.

After two minutes against Sale, Smith pulled the ball out the back to Furbank, whose long pass allowed hooker Sam Riley to trundle in.

After eight minutes, Furbank's blurringly fast hands set up a try for Smith. After 19 minutes, the pair were part of a blindside pod of runners that barged through for another score.

Harlequins ultimately lost the game 28-24, but Furbank and Smith pulled strings effectively again the following week in a resounding Challenge Cup victory over French strugglers Vannes.

"He's a one-of-a-kind player," said Furbank of Smith.

"I think people take him for granted sometimes in terms of the player he can be. The things he can do on a rugby pitch - I don't think many others many others can do

"He's obviously a massive threat with ball in hand and has a great passing game as well, so it's just about trying to understand what he's going to do in certain moments then making my move off that."

Team-mates have described how riffing off Smith's brilliance is different to playing alongside fly-halves that play more conventionally and to more predictable patterns.

So far for Harlequins though, there have been some promising signs of harmony.

This Sunday will be a chance to see how Furbank and Smith's partnership stands up to the noisy neighbours from north of the river.

Saracens have stoked their rivalry with their trademark social media spikiness, labelling the meeting at the Stoop as Quins' 'cup final', external on X.

Harlequins have certainly risen to the occasion in recent meetings.

A 20-14 home win in a feisty encounter last season was a rare highpoint in a difficult campaign.

A similarly dogged display carried the day in the same fixture in 2024.

With prop Fin Baxter back after 10 months out to steel Harlequins pack, the hosts are hoping to snap a streak of three straight league losses by completing the hat-trick.

For Furbank it will be a different flavour of fire on the Prem's 'derby weekend'.

"I obviously experienced quite a few East Midlands derbies and they were unbelievable days," he added.

"I'm expecting no different from the London derby to be honest."

England's training squad to prepare for the Nations Championships will be announced in the hours after the final whistle.

Furbank, who missed England's summer campaign after an appendicitis added to a long run of injuries, says he is "chomping at the bit" to be involved.

First though, he has club business to take care of.

"We're chasing a performance and if we start performing consistently for 80 minutes, we feel the wins will come," he says.