Are you sure the binding you are using there actually returns a value?
Create a setvalue step, use the same expression there, enable the setvalue output and do the insert.
In your browser check if the setvalue step returns a value (only the last 3 screenshots of this tutorial):
I am not sure i understand the issue explained here.
Do you mean that after you create a reference field and then you try to rename it, you can't rename it?