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Fin Smith explains England target he has set himself this season
Fin Smith has set his sights on making his England debut next year knowing he has already caught the eye of Steve Borthwick. Head coach Borthwick was present at Franklin’s Gardens to watch Smith orchestrate Northampton’s 34-19 Gallagher Premiership victory over Exeter last Sunday with a classy man-of-the-match display.
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Battered and bruised from taking on the Chiefs’ defence, the 21-year-old’s pain was eased by recognition from the man he must convince. “I saw Steve on the big screen at one point and thought, ‘Oh s***’! He dropped me a nice message after the game to say he thought it went well, which was good,” Smith said.
“I set out a few goals for myself at the start of the season and at the top of that list was getting a cap for England this season. It’s a cliché answer but I have got to make sure I’m doing well for my club and hopefully the recognition will come from Steve.”
Smith also qualifies for Scotland through his parents but has his heart set on playing for England having been included in the extended training squads for this year’s Guinness Six Nations and the Rugby World Cup.
Although a first cap is his immediate aim, he realises the presence of Owen Farrell, George Ford and Marcus Smith means that competition for the Red Rose number 10 jersey has never been fiercer.
“There are some brilliant fly-halves ahead of me in Owen, George and Marcus, but if the opportunity came I’d be delighted and more than ready to go,” said Smith, who joined Saints after Worcester’s financial collapse last season.
“I have got so many things I need to keep working at to get to the level of Owen, George and Marcus. I have just got to focus on playing well. Selection if I get picked would be great. If not I’ll just keep working hard. Hopefully, I’ll get there eventually.”
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Smith completed three weeks of the World Cup training camp before being cut from the squad when numbers were reduced, but he left with a clear picture of what he must do to challenge the current pecking order.
“Steve has given me the feedback that I have a strong kicking game and I can manage a game quite well,” he said. “The way we play at Northampton traditionally has been to move the ball and run a lot.
“Steve felt he hadn’t seen as much of my kicking game when I have been playing for Northampton so he has challenged me to find ways to control matches with my kicking while continuing to find space, which he thinks is one of my big strengths.
“So this season I have been working really hard to find a balance of when to run and do the stuff that people associate with Northampton, but when the opportunities aren’t there to put pressure on the opposition with a chip in behind or trying to find grass with my boot.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
The game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
2 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
6 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
1 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
1 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
2 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
6 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
6 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
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