05 November 2023 , 22:59
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Harry Smith says old-fashioned “messing about” helped lead to England’s brilliant highlight as he proved the doubters wrong again.
With captain George Williams returning from a two-game ban, the under-rated Wigan scrum-half got the nod ahead of Hull KR livewire Mikey Lewis for the third and final Test against Tonga. And Smith, 23, delivered with a superb display, including a mesmerising off-the-cuff kick to set up Harry Newman’s first international try.
He arrowed a low angled kick from one side of the Headingley pitch to the other and right into the grasp of the Leeds centre. It almost looked like a 50m pass as Smith helped set up a 26-0 lead against toothless Tonga, Shaun Wane’s side storming to a 3-0 series whitewash.
Wane said it was, in part, down to the work of his assistant Lee Briers, the mercurial ex-Warrington and Wales stand-off who’s transformed Brisbane’s attack in 2023 after switching from Wigan. But Smith - who claimed the Nan Halafihi Medal for player of the series - insisted: “ I don’t want to give Briersy too much credit as he gets too much!
“We spoke as a half-back pairing to play more in this last game and just back ourselves. If we see an opportunity, take it and the team will back you. That was just one of those moments. I’ve done a bit of work with Briersy but that was more me. I do mess about and try different kicking styles at the end of training sessions.
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"I saw the space and thought I’d give it a welly. It looked quite good didn’t it? There’s a bit of practice there but also a bit of natural instinct which you need at this level sometimes to score tries. It was good.”
There was plenty to like about England’s display, with John Bateman tearing up Tonga once more and the likes of Tom Johnstone and Tom Burgess also continuing their excellent autumn. Warrington second-row Ben Currie came in as a makeshift centre and impressed, scoring one try and setting up another for veteran Canberra second-row Elliott Whitehead, who bowed out of international rugby league in style. Wolves winger Matty Ashton also crossed from Newman’s class flick pass and limp Tonga didn’t manage a score until Elisea Kato’s 68th minute consolation effort.
Smith, who kicked all five goals and dictated so much of play including also creating Currie's try, admitted: “It’s unbelievable to win 3-0. I don’t think many people thought we could have done it at the start. The bond we’ve built these last three weeks has been unbelievable. Personally, I knew I had to take my chance. And I feel like I did a good job.”
Wane admitted Smith and Lewis were four and five in his half-back rankings before this series "but not now" after their encouraging exploits. Both have put a big marker down for next year's series against Samoa before the Ashes in 2025 and, ultimately, the 2026 World Cup. Smith, whose tactical kicking continually pinned Tonga back, has capped a fine year after helping Wigan lift the Super League title and the League Leaders' Shield and conceded his displays over the last three weeks were "massive" for his own self-belief.
He said: "To make this step up and prove I can do it as this level has been massive. I think playing for Wigan and winning the Grand Final obviously helped but the trust that the whole team has given me and Waney and all the coaching staff has shown in everyone. I don’t think one player who’s played one to 17 in any game has had a bad game. I think that shows the confidence we have in each other and the self belief."
Asked if he'd had any doubts before the first Test, he replied: "I don’t really like to think like that or overthink. I just like to back my ability and get the gameplan off the coaching staff, go through it and look to execute it as best we can. You don’t have doubts but you have thoughts about wanting to play well and show I can do it. It was more that. And hopefully I’ve shown I can do it."