Smith leads from the front

By CHRIS RATTUE

When the forwards go to battle in today's big NPC match in Hamilton, the most experienced international among them will not be in red and black.

And while Canterbury might have an All Black captain in Reuben Thorne, he is sidelined and it will be Waikato who field a test skipper.

The test captain with all the international experience is Waikato hooker Greg Smith, who sometimes gets labelled as a veteran even though he has just turned 28 and his 50-odd games total for Waikato is well down on those of players like Deon Muir and Bruce Reihana.

Smith is a burly jack-in-the-box who disappears from the local view every now and then before bouncing back in Waikato or Chiefs colours.

It is all part of the deal, juggling rugby in New Zealand with a 37-test career with Fiji, which began with a narrow loss against Wales in front of a crowd of 39,000 in Cardiff in 1995.

Smith has captained Fiji over the past six seasons, his opening assignment as skipper coming against the All Blacks at Albany in 1997, when his opposite was the legendary All Black leader Sean Fitzpatrick.

Smith has not always had an easy time balancing his career in this country and for his country.

Waikato required him to make certain commitments a few years ago which put him out of some tests.

He has had 39 Super 12 games, but the last couple of years have been lean, with priority given to New Zealand-eligible players. He missed a contract again this year, although the Chiefs recalled him for the match against the Stormers in Hamilton.

Smith was brought up with a top-level Waikato rugby link. His mother Shona's brother is Pat Bennett, who captained Waikato's 1980 Ranfurly Shield-winning side.

Young Greg Smith did not spend a lot of time with his uncle, although it was his influence which led him to join the Fraser Tech club.

Smith's Fijian father, George, died when Greg was just 11, and at that point the youngster "lost touch with the island side of my family".

Still, he wore the Fiji jersey to Rugby Park a couple of years later when Fiji beat Argentina in the first World Cup, and rugby has reforged links to his Fijian family.

"That's been a huge part of the enjoyment of playing for Fiji, establishing those relationships," said Smith, who had never been to Fiji before his initial selection. "I'm very proud of what I do and my position in Fijian rugby.

"And I believe my international experience has benefits for Waikato. It really means something to me that I've got the most international appearances of any player in our province, and currently I'm the only international captain playing in New Zealand."

Without a professional rugby contract, Smith dabbled in business ventures this year but has now taken on the role as director of the Waikato Rugby Academy.

After 11 years of rugby-interrupted study, Smith gained a teaching degree which he can now combine with his rugby passion.

On Waikato's three-win start to the season, Smith says: "As [coach] Ian Foster commented, no one cares who's leading after three rounds. It's nice to have our three wins but we're just starting our journey."

Waikato: Todd Miller, Roger Randle, Regan King, Keith Lowen, Bruce Reihana, Derek Maisey, Isaac Boss; Deon Muir (capt), Marty Holah, Jono Gibbes, Keith Robinson, Royce Willis, Deacon Manu, Greg Smith, David Briggs. Reserves: Scott Linklater, Tony Philp, Steven Bates, Scott Couch; Rhys Duggan, Loki Crichton, Matt Priscott.

Canterbury: Ben Blair, Joe Maddock, Nathan Mauger Aaron Mauger (co-capt), Caleb Ralph, Andrew Mehrtens, Justin Marshall; Scott Robertson, Richard McCaw, Sam Broomhall, Chris Jack, Daniel Turner, Greg Somerville, Mark Hammett (co-capt), Dave Hewett. Reserves: Laurence Corlett, Chris King, Rhys Williams, Johnny Leo'o; Ben Hurst, Mark Robinson, Alisi Tupuailei.

Kickoff: 2.35pm. Referee: Paddy O'Brien (Southland).