England fly-half Fin Smith reveals source of inspiration for his tough tackling – and it’s not his idol Jonny Wilkinson
England fly-half Fin Smith reveals source of inspiration for his tough tackling.
When Fin Smith admitted he grew up idolising Jonny Wilkinson it was widely assumed the England legend was the inspiration for his own bone-rattling defensive prowess.
If not Wilkinson, considered the best defensive fly-half of all time, then his tough-as-teak successor, Owen Farrell, whose career overlapped with that of the youngster.
But Planet Rugby can reveal it is neither Red Rose legend that England‘s new 10 credits – rather someone much closer to home.
Fin v Finn
Smith is about to go head-to-head with Finn Russell when England take on Scotland looking to avoid losing five successive Calcutta Cups for the first time. It is a repeat of their Premiership Final match-up last season.
The Northampton star returns to Twickenham fresh from a first start, against France, in which he delivered a Player of the Match performance including nine tackles – a number bettered by only six players. All of them forwards.
That followed 30 on one afternoon for Saints in a match against Exeter and one, in particular, against Bath which Miles Reid will not easily forget.
According to eye-witness David Flatman, Smith “melted” the near 17-stone forward, lifting him off his feet and powering him back five metres.
England head coach Steve Borthwick refers to Smith as a “very tough, brave young man”, yet the 22-year old insists his appetite for the physical confrontation is not down to studying anyone in particular.
“I think, honestly, it comes from years growing up playing rugby in the garden with my brother, Angus,” he says. “Sort of having the crap kicked out of me and learning to toughen up that way.
“My dad is a massive role model for me as well. He would not have taken too much of a liking to me shying away from contact and not being brave.
“That has been drilled into me from a young age. It is something I really enjoy doing.”
That Smith is a tough cookie has long been clear; from how he dealt with the trauma of his first club Worcester going bust in 2022 to his victory, the following year, in the Blakiston Challenge, Northampton’s notorious pre-season test of strength and endurance.
He took less than 34 minutes to complete two 2.5km (1.55 mile) runs either side of a further 2km (1.34 mile) of 30kg (66lb) and 50kg (110lb) sandbag carries.
Steve Diamond, for one, was not surprised. Newcastle’s director of rugby was boss at Worcester when Smith came through the academy to play alongside Ollie Lawrence and Ted Hill, England team-mates this weekend.
“Two things struck me about Fin,” says Diamond. “One, he was the best right and left hand passer I’d ever seen and, two, he had this ability, which is fairly rare in a fly-half, to get in front of people and tackle them.
“Owen Farrell has it, doesn’t he? And, to be fair, Marcus Smith does too. When I first saw this kid I thought, ‘He’s going to go a long way’. He was a real calming influence for someone so young.”
Diamond continues: “The first time I picked Fin and he played well I threw him my car keys. ‘Go on,’ I said to him. ‘You’re good, but you’re not that good. Go clean the car’.
“You know, that sort of old school mentality. He was like, ‘Alright then, but can I borrow it afterwards?!’ He had a bit of craic about him. I like that.”
Fast forward to Le Crunch a fortnight ago and the last play of the game. England are seconds from losing for the seventh time in eight matches, having coughed up another winning position late on.
As Smith kicks a penalty into the left corner and England prepare to launch one final attack, Diamond is watching in a pub in Hale, to the south of Manchester.
On another TV, this one in Worcester, some 100 miles to the south, Matt Kvesic sits forward on his chair, almost as though he has a sixth sense about what is about to happen.
The two men see Smith call the play then line up alongside Lawrence. Jamie George hits Ollie Chessum with a ‘double top’ throw, recovers the ball and drives it forward.
Lawrence moves to first receiver and takes the pass from Alex Mitchell. Diamond puts his drink down. Lawrence shapes to pass to Tommy Freeman before passing out the back to Smith, who puts Elliot Daly in with a deliciously timed pass, then slots the winning conversion.
Simultaneously, in Hale and in Worcester, two men yell: ‘Made in Worcester!’
“I know the club is not around now,” says Kvesic, these days playing for Coventry. “But Worcester should be very proud, especially of their academy system.
“The fact Warriors are no longer going probably adds an extra layer of pride. It’s poignant too. Seeing Fin, Ollie and Ted in England shirts has you wondering what might have been.”
Diamond has one final thought, and it is for Borthwick, England’s often maligned head coach, who was under significant pressure going into the France game.
“He gets stick, I know he does, but changing the kicker from Marcus to Fin was one of the great decisions,” Diamond says.
“People say, ‘Well that’s an easy thing to do, Marcus had missed a couple’. It’s not an easy thing to do. Steve made the change, the kid showed his class to nail those crucial kicks and that proved to be the difference.”
Improving England
So to Scotland and the unprecedented challenge of trying to end eight years without a home win against the auld enemy.
“Where are we as a team? We’re still figuring it out,” Smith says candidly. “The good thing about the France result was, obviously, the scoreboard was in our favour, but actually it was seriously far from perfect in terms of performance.
“It’s given us a lot to go after. I’d like to think we’re improving, we’re building towards hopefully a good run of results. But professional sport is fickle. You’ve always got two teams wanting to do as well as they can against each other.
“We’ve got our plan, Scotland will bring their plan. It’s just about who is better on the day. You never know, but I’d like to think that [France result] can be a big stepping stone.”
