Fin Smith, fresh from his standout performance in England’s victory against France, is now preparing to face Scotland in the Calcutta Cup. Despite being firmly established as an England international, the occasion carries a unique significance for Smith, whose family has deep Scottish roots.
His grandfather, Tom Elliot, hailed from Galashiels and represented both Scotland and the British & Irish Lions as a loosehead prop. Smith’s father, Andrew, from Dunfermline, met his mother, Judith, at the London Scottish clubhouse. While Smith has now earned eight caps for England, he and his brother Angus grew up fascinated by their grandfather’s collection of memorabilia, often trying on his old kit.,
A pivotal moment in Smith’s international journey came in 2022. Scotland were touring South America, and England were preparing for a series in Australia. Smith had been in contact with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend, but while he had trained with England, he had yet to receive a senior squad selection. Despite their conversations, Townsend never extended an offer, and when Smith made his England debut against Italy the following year, the decision was made.
Last weekend, Smith delivered an assured performance against France, providing two try assists and helping England to a narrow victory. Though born in Warwick and developed through England’s age-grade system, the upcoming match against Scotland brings mixed emotions for his family.
“It was always: ‘We’re going to be proud of you no matter what, it’s your decision,’” Smith says. “But there was definitely a conversation to have. I chatted to Mum and Dad about it and said: ‘Look, I want to play for England.’ And they were like: ‘Right, OK, great. I’m sure we’ll be all right with that eventually.’ It was all in good spirits and they’re really proud of me. I’ve told my Dad he’s got to be neutral next weekend if I’m playing. He’s definitely going to be singing one of the two anthems maybe both if I’m lucky.”
Reflecting on his interactions with Townsend, Smith acknowledges that the opportunity to play for Scotland never fully materialized. “I don’t think I was ever fully picked in a Scotland squad or had the opportunity there. I’d spoken to Gregor a few times about where he thought I was at with my game. That option never came fully to the fore, but I had a few conversations with him. He’s someone whose opinion I respect a lot, and he helped me with a few things as I was developing as a player. I think it might have been when they went on tour to Chile in 2022, but eventually, he just said I wasn’t in their plans anyway, so it made my decision a lot easier.”
For Smith, choosing England was straightforward. “I’m English, I’ve lived in England all my life, it was a simple choice that I wanted to be an England rugby player.” His performance against France only reinforced that decision. The morning after the game was “dusty” following some post-match celebrations during the Six Nations’ rest week, but as a young fly-half in the England setup, he is growing accustomed to the attention that comes with the role.
Among the messages of support he received were ones from England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and several former coaches. However, Smith maintains a balanced approach to fame. “That is the thing about professional sport one week people will say you’re the best player ever, and the next will say that you’re terrible,” he says. “Having an awareness that what those people are saying doesn’t matter too much, spending time with my family, my girlfriend, and my mates, putting the phone down for a few days, and trying to just reset is what that looks like for me.”
At home, talk of rugby is often off-limits during family meals, something he appreciates, especially before a game against Scotland. “Sometimes we have gone out for meals and I’ll say: ‘Look, I would really rather we just don’t talk about rugby for the next few hours,’ because it can take over your life. Having those conversations fully away from it is something I have found really important.”
His performance against France was not without its challenges. He had a shaky start, getting charged down by Gregory Alldritt early in the match. Fortunately, playing alongside familiar teammates Northampton colleagues Alex Mitchell, Tommy Freeman, and Ollie Sleightholme, as well as former Worcester teammate Ollie Lawrence helped him settle. Though he admitted to feeling like a “rabbit in the headlights” in the first half, England head coach Steve Borthwick praised his ability to recover and take control of the game.
