Strap yourselves in for the Fin Smith era, England fans
08 February 2025 7:00am GMT
When he emerges from the Allianz Stadium tunnel on Saturday afternoon for his first start as England fly-half, Fin Smith will have countless well-wishers. Already, at 22, he has had a positive influence on many people. Indeed, testimonies of his character read like an advert for the ideal son-in-law.
“A calm, composed, quality player” was how Maro Itoje described Smith on Thursday afternoon. The England captain spoke of “assertiveness” and sound decision-making too, then paused a moment. “He’s just a performer,” Itoje said with a shrug, emanating an easy confidence in his new number 10.
If you find out most about a man when they are in adversity, it is worth rewinding two and a half years. Barely out of his teens, Smith was part of a Worcester Warriors squad wracked by uncertainty and distress as the club’s financial problems were biting. Multiple sources remain in awe of his leadership during those dark days.
The “young pup” sat in on meetings with director of rugby Steve Diamond and other senior players, asking proactive questions before relaying matters to his colleagues. “While going through the mess, he wanted to help others,” remembers one insider. “He appreciated the bigger picture of how it affected staff, fans – everyone.”
“For him to speak passionately and logically to the group at different times in the roller coaster of weeks leading to the end, as a 20-year-old, was really impressive,” adds Joe Batley, the former Worcester lock who subsequently relocated to Bristol Bears.
The self-effacing Smith would probably affirm that he was merely protecting his home. After giving up rugby union between eight and 11 to focus on tennis, with the realistic aim of eventually turning professional, he joined the Worcester academy at 13. There, former Scotland international Gordon Ross was among his coaches and encountered an assiduous prospect.
“Not a lot of youngsters watch full games, which helped with his understanding,” Ross says. “He’d come to me and ask ‘can we try this?’ or ‘can we try that?’ because he’d seen it on television.
“A lot of it was around attack shape, and I’d explain that first-team forwards were more skilful and more physical than ours. I was just trying to get him and [Gloucester centre] Seb Atkinson, who were our best players, more time on the ball rather than just going to a structure that he’d seen on TV.”