For ambitious young Premiership fly-halves there is nowhere to hide. On Saturday Northampton’s Fin Smith is up against Handré Pollard, who kicked South Africa to World Cup glory three weeks ago. Six days later he has a Friday night date at Franklin’s Gardens with his namesake Marcus Smith. And then? A trip to north London to face that renowned softie Owen Farrell.
It would be a daunting to-do list for an old timer, never mind a 21-year-old who had the financial rug pulled from beneath him at Worcester last year and was on loan at Ampthill two seasons ago. How interesting, then, to hear Saints’ head coach, Phil Dowson, say he would back his youthful stand-off against anyone.
