I think George will still feel a bit aggrieved because of the England situation, but it’s difficult in the fly-half position to stamp your authority on the game and make a statement because you are somewhat reliant on other people.

You are the barometer of how the team is going but it helps if your pack is firing, your centres are playing well and your scrum-half is delivering good ball to you.

In that respect, I suppose, Smith is slightly different because of his mercurial nature. On the other hand, Ford has shown a huge amount of control – albeit behind what is, arguably, the league’s best set of forwards. They have been on top of every opponent they have come across this year, with the possible exception of Saracens on that soaking wet day at Welford Road. Even then, Leicester won it with a maul at the death.

Sometimes, team-mates can rally around players when they sense that it is possible for them to prove a point. Will that be the case for George? We will see. I think Marcus will feel a lot more comfortable now because he has less to prove in an England context. He will have been in touch with Eddie Jones since the autumn, who will be telling him to carry on being himself.

He went well against Tonga, Australia and South Africa and the shirt is his to lose currently. Big domestic games like the one on Sunday will count in the selection shake-up, but only a little. The win over the Springboks, and his composure at the end of it, is a far better gauge of his worth in the Test arena.

That result has made it very hard for anyone, not just George, to force themselves into that squad from the outside. Owen Farrell’s injury is a possible way in, even if Jones was intent on playing George Furbank at fly-half. The debate of Ford versus Smith might resurface in the New Year. Whether it does or not, Sunday will be fascinating to watch.