By Paul Eddison
There was a moment at the end of England’s one-point victory over France that said everything about the competitive side of Marcus Smith.
England had just taken the lead against Les Bleus and needed to negotiate one final restart to end a run of seven successive defeats to tier-one opposition.
It was not an unfamiliar position – in November Australia had reclaimed the final restart before scoring the winning try in a dramatic victory.
This time around, France kicked the restart short and it was not gathered initially, instead squirting loose giving the visitors a chance to regather and try to snatch the win.
Instead, Smith, the smallest England player on the pitch, reacted fastest to dive on the loose ball and allow his namesake Fin Smith to kick the ball out and seal the win.
Brothers
It was instinct, and dates back to his time battling with younger brothers Luc and Tomas, long before he dreamed of representing his country at Allianz Stadium.
“We always talk about things that take no talent, desperation to get back,” said Smith, speaking at Allianz Stadium.
“I’ve got two younger brothers and a very competitive dad and mum. So whenever we were at home, we always competed, whether it was Monopoly, X-box or sporting endeavours. I see all those moments as a competition, and it’s part of my job. So I’m glad I could dive on the ball and that Fin could kick it out.”
Against France, Smith started at full-back, the fourth time he has done so for England, having played almost all of his senior rugby at fly-half.
That allowed Fin Smith, the Northampton Saints fly-half, to make his first Test start, earning Player of the Match honours for his performance, while he also took over goal-kicking duties from Marcus Smith during the game.
The emergence of two young fly-halves has created an interesting selection conundrum for coach Steve Borthwick, with Marcus Smith admitting his preferred position remains fly-half.
But while the idea of becoming a full-back was not something he had ever considered as a youngster, there is precedent for a diminutive hot-stepper in the England backfield.
Smith said: “When I was younger, I never had a thought of playing full-back. All through the age groups and schoolboy rugby, I never played 15. Jason Robinson was one of my favourite players though, so I guess I looked up to some 15s.
Team First
“For me, personally, I’d like to think I’m a team first man, so wherever I’m needed in a team, I’ll very happily play. I’m truly honoured and grateful every time get the chance to play for England, it’s a dream come true, special every time.
“The combination Fin and I had last week and the rest of the team, I thought worked really nicely. I’ve enjoyed working with Fin over the last couple of years, he’s a great player.
“Predominantly, I want to play 10, that’s the position I prefer and I love playing, however if I had to play on the wing, I’d play on the wing for my country, it’s an absolute honour.”
Would that stretch as far as packing down in the front row?
He joked: “Maybe not in the forward pack but in the backline I’d play anywhere!
”The win over France, the first in Le Crunch since 2021, sparked life into England’s Guinness Six Nations challenge, following their opening defeat away to Ireland in Dublin.
Calcutta Cup
Next up is a Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland, who have won the last four encounters between the sides, equalling the longest such run in their history.
They have the chance to set a new best mark at Allianz Stadium on Saturday but Smith is hopeful that England’s win over France will give them the confidence to put an end to that streak.
He said: “The win against France was massive for us. The last 12 months we probably haven’t delivered the results we wanted as a group and the results the country wanted as well.
“If you look at the autumn, we didn’t get over the line in tight moments, so for us to get over the line as a group, I think we’ve taken massive confidence from that.
“You see how good a side France are, a star-studded team, but now we have got that belief that we can finish the job when the job needs to be finished.
“Hopefully that can breed some confidence among the fans, in the country, because it’s definitely increased confidence in the camp.
“Now it’s our job to take another step forward in our journey and beat Scotland, which will be a tough test, but it’s at home, it’s at our home, Allianz Stadium and we’ll do everything we can hopefully to win the Calcutta Cup.”
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Get ready for round three of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations as England take on Scotland at Allianz Stadium this Saturday 22nd February #AllianzStadium #TogetherWeRaiseTheRoof
