Fin Smith has opened up about the pain of slipping down England’s fly-half pecking order, admitting that losing the No.10 shirt to George Ford and a frustrating British & Irish Lions tour have tested him mentally even as they fuel his determination to come back stronger.


Fin Smith in action kicking the ball during an England rugby match
Fin Smith in England colours, directing play from fly-half before losing the No.10 shirt.

Fin Smith’s Toughest Season Yet: From England Starter to Chasing the Shirt

The battle for England’s fly-half jersey has rarely been more intense, and Fin Smith is right in the middle of it. After emerging as a dynamic playmaker for club and country, Smith now finds himself behind veteran George Ford in Steve Borthwick’s autumn Test plans and still in the shadow of Finn Russell on the Lions stage.

For a young 10 used to rapid rises and glowing reviews, this is a moment of hard reflection. But it may also be the turning point that defines the next decade of his career.


From Rising Star to Relentless Competition: The Context Behind Smith’s Setback

Smith’s rise has mirrored England’s search for long-term stability at fly-half. With Owen Farrell stepping away from the international arena and Marcus Smith battling injuries and form, Fin Smith was widely tipped as the next long-term controller of the England backline.

Yet experience still matters in Test rugby. George Ford, with his game management and tactical kicking, re-established himself as the preferred option during the autumn Tests, pushing Smith down the depth chart at the very moment he hoped to lock down the jersey.

  • George Ford – first-choice England 10 across the autumn window.
  • Fin Smith – impact option and squad cover, but not starting.
  • Marcus Smith – still very much in the conversation when fit.

On top of that, his British & Irish Lions opportunity in Australia, especially the pre-tour clash against Argentina in Dublin, was billed as his audition to challenge Finn Russell for the starting role. Smith has since admitted he did not deliver the statement performance he needed.

“I just didn’t put enough pressure on Finn. That’s on me. When you get that jersey, you’ve got to make it impossible for the coaches to ignore you – and I didn’t.”

England Fly-Half Pecking Order: Form, Numbers and Narrative

While raw numbers never tell the full story in rugby, they do help explain why Ford’s name has been first on the team sheet and why Smith is still chasing. Ford’s control, kicking accuracy and territorial game continue to impress England’s coaches, even as Smith offers more instinctive running and attacking flair.

Comparative Autumn Test Metrics – England Fly-Halves (approximate, per 80 minutes)
Player Points Kick Success % Try Assists Line Breaks Kicks in Play
George Ford 13–15 82–88% 0.6 0.3 18–22
Fin Smith 7–10 78–84% 0.4 0.6 12–16

Ford still offers the safer pair of hands in high-pressure Test environments, while Smith’s profile leans towards front-foot rugby and broken-field chaos. Borthwick’s current selection suggests England value control first, with creativity coming off the bench.

On the Lions tour, Smith’s frustration stems less from poor statistics and more from missed moments. That Argentina game in Dublin was exactly the kind of fixture where a young 10 can seize a career-defining narrative. By his own admission, he didn’t.


The Lions Tour to Australia: A Missed Chance Against Finn Russell

The British & Irish Lions environment is unforgiving. Tours are short, competition is ruthless, and one flat performance can cost a player an entire Test series. Starting the warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin, Smith had a golden window to put real pressure on Finn Russell.

Instead, the story of that game became Russell’s grip on the jersey rather than Smith’s challenge for it. The Scotland playmaker’s ability to unlock defences with late passes, chip kicks and tempo changes kept him in pole position.

Rugby players contesting for the ball in a lineout during a match
Lions intensity: every minute on tour is an audition, especially for playmakers at fly-half.

Smith’s honesty about his own frustration is telling. It shows a player who understands the standards required at the very top:

“You can’t afford an off day in that environment. I know I’ve got to turn that frustration into work, not excuses.”

For England fans, that mindset is encouraging. For Smith, it turns the Lions tour from a disappointment into a reference point: a line in the sand that could shape how he prepares for every big-game opportunity from here.


The Mental Side: Handling Rejection, Pressure and Public Scrutiny

Being dropped, or simply being passed over, is part of elite sport. But for a fly-half – the on-field general and often the face of the team – it hits differently. Smith hasn’t hidden from that.

Losing the England No.10 shirt means more than missing a few caps. It affects confidence, rhythm and, in a World Cup cycle, long-term planning. Yet the careers of many great 10s have been defined not by smooth ascents, but by how they responded to tough patches.

  • Owen Farrell – questioned early in his career, then became a world-class captain.
  • Dan Carter – battled injuries and dips in form before peaking at World Cup 2015.
  • Johnny Sexton – spent years fighting for the starting shirt before making it undisputed.

Smith now stands at a similar crossroads. His willingness to speak about the emotional hit shows maturity, but the crucial step comes next: turning that sting into improved decision-making, sharper game control and, ultimately, irresistible selection form.

Rugby player preparing to kick a penalty under pressure
Fly-halves live in the pressure zone: every kick, pass and decision is magnified at Test level.

Club Rugby: The Platform for a Comeback

For all the noise around Test selection, the pathway back to the England No.10 shirt runs straight through club rugby. Week in, week out performances in the Premiership and European competition will decide whether Smith forces his way back ahead of Ford, or even edges Marcus Smith when both are firing.

What England’s coaches will want to see:

  1. Consistent game management against top domestic and European sides.
  2. High kicking percentages from the tee and in play.
  3. Evidence of vocal leadership and control in tight matches.
  4. Clear synergy with his centres and back three, mirroring Test combinations.
Rugby players tackling and competing at club level
Club rugby will be Smith’s proving ground as he looks to reclaim his England place.

The narrative can flip quickly. A dominant domestic season, a few match-winning displays in Europe, and suddenly the conversation around England’s first-choice 10 looks very different.


Tactical Fit: Why Smith Still Matters to England’s Future

Even if Ford remains Borthwick’s current preference, Fin Smith’s skill set is perfectly aligned with where top-level rugby is heading: fast tempo, multi-phase attacks and 10s who can both run and kick teams into the right areas.

In particular, Smith offers:

  • Sharp, flat passing that can hold defenders and put runners through seams.
  • Instinctive support lines that turn half-breaks into try-scoring chances.
  • A growing short kicking game – chips, grubbers and cross-kicks into space.
  • The capacity to play at high tempo, which suits England’s younger backs.
Rugby fly-half passing the ball to a teammate under defensive pressure
Modern fly-halves must blend control with creativity – the balance Smith is still refining.

As England build towards the next World Cup cycle, they will need more than one reliable 10. Smith’s challenge is to convince the coaching staff that he isn’t just an alternative to Ford and Marcus Smith, but a long-term cornerstone of the attack.


What Comes Next: Pressure, Opportunity and Prediction

The immediate future for Fin Smith is clear: dominate at club level and be ready when the next England opening appears – whether through rotation, injury, or tactical reshaping. The autumn Tests may have stung, but they haven’t closed the door.

An informed prediction? If Smith uses this disappointment as fuel, he is likely to:

  • Feature heavily in upcoming Six Nations squads, at least off the bench.
  • Start selected Tests against lower-ranked opposition to prove his control.
  • Re-enter serious contention as Ford ages and the coaching staff look longer term.

The bigger question is not whether Smith will play for England again – he almost certainly will – but what kind of fly-half he chooses to become in response to this setback. Will he double down on his natural flair, or add layers of icy game management that make him undroppable?

For fans, analysts and coaches alike, that evolution will be one of the most compelling storylines in English rugby over the next few seasons.

To follow official updates and statistics, you can refer to:

Rugby stadium floodlights illuminating the pitch at night
The lights will shine again on Fin Smith at Test level – the only question is when, and on whose terms.