sport news 'I'm like a kid in a candy store': Fin Smith talks England and chasing ... trends now

In October 2021, I was part of a Northampton side which beat Worcester 66-10 in a Premiership clash at Franklin’s Gardens. Fin Smith was my opposite number.

Despite the one-sided final score and the Warriors’ struggles at the time, I could see Fin, then aged 19, had a lot of potential and everything he needed to make it at the highest level.

It had been a tough evening for Worcester so at the final whistle, I went over to Fin and we had a bit of a chat. My reason for doing so was to make sure the way the match went didn’t damage him moving forward. The television cameras picked up our conversation and it went a bit viral.

Both Fin and I have been asked a lot about that moment since then, especially after he replaced me as Northampton fly-half. It’s been great for me to see his development into the leader of the Saints team and an England international this season, despite still being just 21.

And with my former side in the hunt for a Premiership and European double, it seemed a good moment for us to catch up ahead of Northampton’s Champions Cup quarter-final clash with South African side Bulls tonight. There was only one place to start.

‘I’ve been reminded about that conversation more than you have! Everyone seems to think you were being some sort of secret agent trying to bring me to Saints,’ Fin told me, looking back on that chat in 2021.

‘It was you putting your arm around me and telling me to keep my chin up. It was pretty cool. I was only just starting out and to have you come over and pick me up a bit was awesome for me because it’s a pretty dark place when you get pumped by that sort of score. It was a casual chat but greatly appreciated from my point of view.

‘You were very loosely looking out for me. But as a 19-year-old lad, it went a long way and when I started out at Saints, having you as a contact to message if I needed anything was class.

‘Obviously we have had a shared experience of playing No 10 for Northampton and have worked with the same coaches. It’s been really helpful for me.’

I definitely wasn’t working as a secret agent for Northampton in 2021 — I certainly haven’t had a cut of the deal that brought Fin to Saints. The cheque must be in the post!

At that time, I didn’t think Fin would replace me at Saints. But in November 2022, I moved to Toulon less than a month after Fin arrived at the club following the sad demise of Worcester.

Earlier that year, we had another chat after we’d again been on opposite sides in a match at Sixways and Fin had got knocked out. He’s a really talented player and if I can help him in any way, then I will. Not that Fin needs much assistance at the moment. He’s having a brilliant campaign with Northampton and won his first England caps during the Six Nations.

‘I was properly out of it but I remember you coming to talk to me in the changing rooms when I was still a bit dazed,’ Fin said. ‘When I signed for Northampton I probably thought I was a lot better than I was and I got a bit of a shock in the first few weeks. There was so much I hadn’t opened my eyes to, particularly around game management. It’s been an amazing journey. In terms of joining when I did, you had just left for Toulon and James Grayson had picked up a knock. I was straight in.

‘My first few weeks at the club were pretty big. All the stress and the whirlwind that was losing my job at Worcester were actually really helpful because I didn’t have time to think too much about what was going on in front of me. It’s been carnage but I’ve loved it.’

I spent four and a half brilliant years with Northampton. It’s an amazing club full of great people and I’m delighted to see them doing so well this term. I didn’t win a major trophy in my time there but Fin and his team-mates have that chance.

If they were playing a full-strength Bulls in South Africa tonight in the Champions Cup, Saints would be underdogs.

But with the

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