Bortwick’s call on Smith proves abject failure as England are drowned out | Gerard Meagher

The fly-half debate will rage on after Marcus Smith failed in conditions that George Ford would have been better suited to

There is something very English about fly-halves being hung out to dry in the rain. England did not lose this match because of Marcus Smith, rather they were thumped by a fabulous France team who ruthlessly exposed the limits of Steve Borthwick’s side with an exhibition in how to handle the heavens opening. Still, the cold, hard facts are that Smith did not deliver anything like the statement performance he was selected to do and England’s fly-half debate rages on. The biggest call of Borthwick’s tenure to date can unequivocally be called the most damning of failures.

All the more so when you consider that the No 10 most suited to this kind of match – George Ford – was sent back to his club five days previously and Borthwick’s decision to let Smith do the same a week earlier now looks foolish. England were listing under Eddie Jones but capsized horribly here, suffering a worst ever defeat at Twickenham.