[2022 Six Nations] England vs Ireland (12/03/22)

[Ragey Erasmus]

Also watching Smith closely.



Dan, Jonny and Johnny were far more accomplished at 23, and the second best of them was a Ster late bloomer.



Smith could be a great player with a team around him but he's no decisive factor at this level.

Arguably he started internationals later and has dropped into 2 poorly performing teams (lions and England). He hasn't had much chance yet internationally in a team that wasn't misfiring and with poor attack. A 10 can only do so much if the rest of the team are not in the same wavelength. England and the lions have both been extremely conservative, Smith isn't.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Also watching Smith closely.



Dan, Jonny and Johnny were far more accomplished at 23, and the second best of them was a Ster late bloomer.



Smith could be a great player with a team around him but he's no decisive factor at this level.

Saint Jonny if you don't mind. StJ if you really must be informal.

Smith's just turned 23. StJ's potential was seen early and invested in - by my maths he had something like 38 caps by his 23rd birthday, all bar 2 in the starting XV. Closing in on being the finished article while Smith is still in the foothills. England started to build a v good all round team from 2000 but the young FH was definitely a huge part of it. Not saying Smith should have been blooded as a teenager but definitely should have been involved earlier.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Smith, Ford and Farrell wild all look better as well if we had a proper 9, 11, 12, 13,14 and 15 too.

It's telling that when Farrell is out of form/ injured that Ford is dropped somehow. We need a proper 12 that's not Slade to actually offer something rather than just shifting the ball left to right.