ANDY DUNN Top Marcs for Smith... but this was a bitter blow for Jones
Britain’s best columnist from Murrayfield
AHEAD of this painful defeat, Eddie Jones had this to say about Marcus Smith.
“Every young 10 starts off with doubts about his experience to handle the pressure of the situation.
“At some stage, they play a game bigger than they have ever played. It’s part of their learning curve.”
The England coach was not spot on, but he was a good deal more insightful than he often is.
While it is unlikely the supremely confident Smith has ever had serious ‘doubts’ about handling any sort of pressure, this WAS a game bigger than any he has ever played.
And what did he do? Used it to announce himself to a wider sporting world, used it to put himself in a broader public consciousness.
Soon, it will not be just rugby fans who know Smith’s face. In the here and now, this was about England trying to put a marker down for this year’s championship.
That is why the loss will, rightly, put pressure on Jones. His team lost their discipline, his in-game changes – pre-ordained – did not work. In fact, they failed quite spectacularly.
But one consolation from this dramatic loss came via another glimpse into the future. In the absence of Owen Farrell, Tom Curry was the stand-in skipper and, in the absence of Owen Farrell, Smith was, in effect, the stand-in playmaker, although he would probably have played anyway.
Curry is 23 and Smith is eight months his junior – his next birthday is on Valentine’s Day and he often plays like love’s young dream. There was nothing Cupid’s arrow-straight about his first, fortunate penalty conversion and some of his early boot-work was overcooked.
But he soon grew into the game. There is a swagger about Smith all great No.10s possess. He certainly looked among the few on terms with spontaneity.
For long periods, this was
Jones rugby at its most preprogrammed uninspiring.
Tons of possession, decent ground made, but too many training-ground drills easily rebuffed by a consistently magnificent Scottish defence.
Improvisation was in short supply, partly
on Jones’s orders, no doubt. But you cannot put a lid on the genius of players such as Smith – nor would Jones or any other coach want to.
His try was not overly spectacular, but it was a simple burst of brilliance – a step off the right foot and a glide to success.
The violent celebratory airpunch had just a smidgeon of arrogance about it, even though the missed conversion was a sobering moment. As with all precociously talented, talismanic sportsmen and women, the key to fulfilling longterm ambition will be levelheadedness – of the individual and of the people around him.
In simple terms, do not get carried away.
Because, let’s face it, the Harlequins prodigy looks like he could have the lot.
But never mind that he is an eminently marketable young athlete with an interesting back story.
On the field, he will eventually have the lot.
It is, as Jones said, a learning curve and the fact his 17-point contribution eventually counted for nothing will be a significant stop on that journey.
It is a
minor psychological test that Smith will have to pass
– just as this
England team had a test to pass when a penalty try brought the Scots level.
England failed that test, they lost their heads and
Jones now has many questions to answer.
Apart from Smith’s try, England played conservatively in the second half, trying to squeeze the life out of the contest.
Thanks largely to Luke Cowan-Dickie’s mistake, it backfired and they squandered a late chance to get something from the match.
By then, Smith’s evening had long ended.
It was probably only a coincidence that England’s collapse came after he had been replaced, but it felt a little symbolic.
For England and Jones, this was a bitter blow.
But at least Smith gave them another look at what may still be an exciting future.