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…
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