The Breakdown | Marcus Smith’s gut-twisting dismay could yet be making of his career

The Harlequins fly-half endured the worst of moments but elite sport always requires an ability to bounce back from failure

Welcome to The Breakdown, the Guardian’s weekly (and free) rugby union newsletter. Here’s an extract from this week’s edition. To receive the full version every Tuesday, just pop your email in below.

Playing top-level sport, in the end, is less about talent than the ability to bounce back from failure. “I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that’s why I succeed,” said the great Michael Jordan, who knew a little about turning talent into consistent achievement. There is not a single great athlete who, at one stage or another, has not experienced a jolt of gut-twisting dismay.