Former England boss Sir Clive Woodward has revealed he brought in the hotshot lawyer who helped Owen Farrell escape a ban.
The 2003 World Cup winner also revealed the solicitor got his team out of trouble after Woodward made a serious mistake.
"I was ridiculed for bringing Richard Smith KC into the England set-up in 2002. Many said there was no need and that his presence would be a waste of time and money for the RFU," said Woodward.
"But Richard proved his worth to me instantly on several fronts and was an excellent team player. Two decades on, he is still working brilliantly with English rugby.
"The Farrell situation once again shows the importance of having a good lawyer in your team.
"I’ve no doubt that without Richard in his corner, Farrell would not have got off as lightly as he did. At the 2003 World Cup, we briefly fielded 16 players on the field against Samoa when Dan Luger came on the field by mistake.
"I thought it was creative coaching but the World Cup disciplinary panel thought otherwise! As an England team, we were in big trouble.
"It was totally my fault and we could easily have been docked points. Richard helped us get off with a fine and I’ll always owe him a debt of thanks for that given we went on to win the World Cup in Australia that year.
"Farrell also has a big thank you to give him. The reason I hired Richard was because I knew we had a world-class team and staff capable of global glory. But I wanted to safeguard against anything that could possibly derail our bid for success."
RUGBY QUIZ:
Five most hated rugby players, named and ranked:
We have curated a compilation of individuals who, through their actions on and off the field, have acquired a regrettable reputation within the game. Their notoriety extends beyond specific fan bases or clubs; it encompasses the entire rugby community.
#5. Dan Biggar (Wales)
Amusingly, Biggar epitomizes the kind of player who manages to invoke strong dislike until he becomes a part of your own team.
Over the course of his career, this fly-half has exhibited a growing penchant for passionately berating referees.
This behavior has reached such heights that Glove39, a renowned online personality and unwavering fan of Scotland, cleverly crafted a video titled 'birdman.'
In this video, Glove39 humorously mimicked Biggar's habitual arm-raising expression of frustration directed at officials.
#4. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
The expert in unsportsmanlike behavior. Sexton is skilled in exaggerating contact or distracting officials, knowing precisely when to employ his repertoire of underhanded tactics.
His most recent example of on-field nouse came against Wales just last weekend. The yellow card handed to Liam Williams in the 65th minute for a high hit on Sexton took a while to come as it was reviewed from multiple angles by the officials.
Wales fans piled in on Sexton after the Williams sin-binning, with one writing: 'Sexton play acted a head injury. Blatant cheating.'
Another Wales fan vented: 'That Liam Williams yellow card shows why rugby will be dead in a few years – nothing wrong with Liams body shape and Sexton play acting sums up how rugby has drastically changed for the worse. It’s a mockery to the real injuries.'
Another commented on Sexton being seen winking after the card, and said that his behaviour would "destroy the spectacle that is International rugby"
#3. Nic White (Australia)
White has become arguably the most unpopular player in world rugby over the past 12 months..
Last year, White fell about like a lion had attempted to rip off his face after Faf de Klerk accidentally made contact with it while attempting to dislodge the ball out of his hands as he attempted a pass.
After consulting with the television match official, referee Paul Williams adjudicated that this warranted a yellow card for de Klerk.
This decision sent the world of rugby into meltdown, with criticism coming from all quarters aimed at White for bringing the game into disrepute.
#2. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
The world Cup-winning lock is undoubtedly world-class, but he is also one of the dirtiest players in the sport. If your team has played against him, you will not be a fan. A proper sh**house, but huge biceps.
#1. Owen Farrell (England)
Could it be anybody else? Farrell fits the label “our guy” better than most, meaning you love to hate him unless he’s in your squad.
Then you’d go to the end’s of the earth to defend him. The England captain, also known as 'Shoulder boy' for his high tackling, does himself no favours with his poor tackling technique.
And that came to a head yesterday when he was sent off for a high tackle against Wales.
Farrell could potentially miss the start of the World Cup as a result of his dismissal for a high tackle on Taine Basham in the 19-17 win at Twickenham.
England's first World Cup match is against Argentina on 9 September.
