England ecstasy as Smith seizes the day

FIN Smith came of age in the last quarter of this cliff-hanger to inspire England to finally produce an 80-minute performance when he put Elliot Daly clear for the winning try in the 79th minute against a French side that spiked their Grand Slam ambitions by squandering multiple scoring opportunities.

- NICK CAIN

The difference was that when England created opportunities in the wet conditions, although they were fewer, they were not as profligate – and in large part they had the ice-cool head of the 22-year-old Northampton fly-half to thank for delivering in the last knockings when it mattered most.

It was a desperately close affair, even up to the England maul on Ollie Chessum’s lineout being very close to being lockedup, squeezing Maro Itoje’s side into enduring another loss.

Instead, the ball was finally smuggled to Alex Mitchell and, as the scrumhalf linked with Ollie Lawrence, it was the cue for Daly to make an arcing run from the left wing into midfield.

However, it was Fin Smith’s timing after he received the ball from Lawrence that was absolute precision. He passed the ball into exactly the right space for Daly to hit it at full speed, and the 32-year-old bench veteran, who had been on the pitch for only three minutes, punched his way over the line.

It was met with a triumphant roar from England’s long-suffering fans, who have had to wait a year for their team to again live up to the promise of last year’s epic last-gasp one-point victory over Ireland.

Before this final English flourish, it had all the hallmarks of another second half that would slip away. France had an error-riddled first half, allowing England to finish it tied at 7-7, but began the second half as if they meant business.

However, during a helter-skelter passage helter-skelter passage of play it proved to be an illusion. After an English counter-attack from their own 22 unraveled when Marcus Smith lost possession, the ball fell to the French version of Billy Whizz, Louis Bielle-Biarrey.