In the biggest moments, the great players step up. It is, of course, far too early to call 22-year-old Fin Smith a great but the traits the fly half demonstrated on his first international start – as England finally ended their year of woe in close matches by dramatically defeating France 26-25 in a stone-cold thriller – signify the brightest of futures.
The debate over who should be given the England No 10 jersey has been raging for a while now. Would the veteran savvy and exceptional game management of George Ford serve this largely young England team best? Or do they need the individual brilliance and game-breaking ability of Marcus Smith.
