Aaron Smith is nearing the end of his glittering All Blacks career. Photo / photosport.nz
By Liam Napier in Cardiff
Aaron Smith adopts an open, reflective mood in Cardiff as he contemplates his final northern tour, the prospect of breaking Dan Carter’s record as the most-capped All Blacks back of all time, the struggles of this season and his future beyond next year’s World Cup.
The All Blacks arrived in the gloomy Welsh capital to begin their three-match northern tour with a notable edge in camp following a performance in Tokyo where their effort, desire, want and mentality has since been questioned during a brutal internal review that bluntly delivered the need for vast improvements.
“We’re under no illusions the next three games will be totally different,” Smith tells the Herald.
As the All Blacks handed many fringe prospects game time against Japan, Smith came off the bench to equal Carter’s 112 test record. He is now preparing to surpass the world-class playmaker at the Principality Stadium after being promoted to start this weekend.
Such an achievement is a long way from his humble Feilding roots and suggestions he was too small to survive in the elite arena.
“It snuck up on me a little bit. Getting to 100 and to chase a third World Cup were the big goals in my tenure in New Zealand. I caught up with Dan last week in Japan and he brought it up – I didn’t even know. It was special to see him for dinner before the game and he was in the changing room afterwards.
“There’s so many legends that have played a lot of games but to be in that kind of echelon with those kinds of names – Dan is one of the greatest – it’s surreal.
“I play the game in a giving way. I want to make my teammates look as good as they can. Some people may not like that, they may see it as boring, but it’s my style and it’s got me this far.”
Carter congratulated Smith but immediately set him another challenge with the reminder that he started three more times than the 33-year-old halfback, who has Beauden Barrett nipping at his heels on 110 tests.
“As a competitor you love hearing that.”
While Smith increasingly savours his time in the All Blacks, after missing three tests on last year’s northern tour in favour of witnessing his second son’s birth, he has already begun seeking counsel from the likes of Carter and Keven Mealamu about how to approach his final test season, and likely last in New Zealand, next year.
“I’ve got to focus on the now but I definitely want to give it my best shot next year, finish strong, play without fear and not worry about little things like injury. Over the summer I’ll be connecting with people who have been through that situation as an older athlete, trying to prime up for a big year.
“The further you get in your All Blacks journey the more grateful you are for the travel, the fans overseas. Watching from home last year and seeing the boys tour Ireland, USA and Wales it was the first time I hadn’t been there. It was weird because I wasn’t injured or non-selected, I’d chosen to stay at home for my family. That was something I hadn’t felt.
“That sparked a hungry desire in me for a full test calendar this year. Playing in Cardiff, Murrayfield and Twickenham it doesn’t get much bigger. We’re doing everything we can to finish it on the right note.”
When he returns home in late November Smith plans to determine his playing future beyond next year’s World Cup. While his decorated 11-year test career will come to a close, the prospect of playing abroad seemingly remains on the table.
“Do I still want to do it? Can I do it? I’ve been very lucky with injuries so it’s more around my mental space. It takes a lot of effort to play a full season of Super Rugby. Leaders are leaned on heavily in both environments to ensure everything is running smoothly.
“It’s an exciting proposition. I still feel I’ve got a lot to offer wherever I choose to go or if I finish up. That’s definitely more of a summer thing.”
Smith emerged through and, with his speed to the base and rapid width of pass, played an integral role in the halcyon days, the golden era, of the All Blacks from 2012 to 2016.
This year has been different, though. Very different.
Where the All Blacks of that era nearly always found ways to win, familiar fragilities have crippled this year.
Four losses, two coaching changes and several pointed public fallouts severely challenged the team’s resolve, leaving much to prove on this tour.
“The first eight to nine years of my test career we lost one to two, if that. One year we were perfect. Every loss hurts. This jersey demands a lot of respect and effort.
“I’m a realist, too. The way some teams are playing now... the world is catching up. I still believe in our team. We’ve got the right men in the group.”
Despite the frequent setbacks Smith maintains the many harsh lessons, the training intensity, off-field accountability and largely consistent selections during the Rugby Championship will soon shine through.
“I think in the next three weeks we’ll see that come to pay. Those combinations are key, and going through a bit of adversity puts us in good stead for next year so you remember the good, the bad and the lessons.
“We’ve got plenty of examples from this year where we got things right or we let teams back in or we lost. All those things are very much front of mind.”
Behind the scenes Smith believes the mid-year coaching changes, with Jason Ryan replacing John Plumtree and Joe Schmidt assuming Brad Mooar’s attack brief, are paying off. He reflects on his early years under Wayne Smith, Steve Hansen, Ian Foster, Mike Cron and Mick Byrne and how that group drove the All Blacks’ unrivalled success.
“We were lucky in that area. And we’re seeing that now with our Black Ferns which is great to see.
“Jason Ryan is someone I’ve grown a liking to as a forwards coach; his accountability and how he gets our pack going. There’s nothing better as a halfback than seeing them wanting to dominate. And Joe Schmidt, he sees things that are really simple but they have such an effect on the game. I connect with him a lot. You can see why he had success with Ireland.
“With the new assistants Fozzie has been able to be himself 100 per cent and not have to worry about the world coming at him.”
The next, vital step is for those changes to translate into consistent performances, in order for the public to view what the players see.
“A lot of it comes back to us players and leaders playing to our potential. We have in games, and we’ve let ourselves down as well. On this last part of the tour we’ve got everything in place. These next three weeks are our biggest challenge as a group to respect the opposition, finish the year strong and embrace playing in big stadiums on the road. We have to take ownership of delivering that on the field.”
That ownership must start against Wales this weekend.
'There was not a lot of trust between us anymore. In fact ... there was zero trust.'