- Jones praises Smith after 27-26 win over South Africa
- ‘It’s a day I’ll never forget’ says fly-half after victory
Marcus Smith paid tribute to England’s World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson after his last-minute penalty clinched a famous one-point win over South Africa in fairytale fashion. Smith was given a masterclass in training by Wilkinson this week before going on to nail the 80th-minute kick to steer England to a dramatic 27-26 victory, avenging the 2019 World Cup final defeat.
Smith, 22, was making only his fourth England start and Jones has tipped the mercurial fly-half for big things, provided he doesn’t get “too much poison poured into his head”. It was a statement that echoed Jones’s recent warning about the pitfalls of fame, using the example of Emma Raducanu to do so.
