Tabai Matson backed Marcus Smith to quickly regain his England spot after breathing fresh life into Quins' play-off bid with victory over Exeter.
“He can do no more to get back in the England mix… and I think he will,” said the coach. “To slot back into our system so smoothly and outstandingly shows what a rare talent he is.
“He orchestrates a lot of our attacks. He wanted to come back here and get 80 minutes under his belt. He's here to get game time and he's sharp. His decision making and getting time on the ball is a rarity. I spoke to Steve (Borthwick) on Sunday and he wanted Marcus to come back here to us and boss the game.
“The best thing he could have done was to play as best he could. Steve is really clear on how they want to win Tests but Marcus has put his best foot forward and showed there is another way.”
Chiefs head coach Ali Hepher admitted: “It's a humbling result and we have no complaints. We should have got more points. We had chances but could not cross their line to make it pay.”
