Rugby: Smith ready for new Hurricanes partner

Conrad Smith says being a man short contributed to the Hurricanes' defeat by the Crusaders last Friday. Photo / Getty Images

Hurricanes centre Conrad Smith is preparing for a step into the unknown when he partners Jayden Hayward in the midfield against the Crusaders in their second-round Super 15 rugby match at Wellington on Saturday.

The veteran has not played alongside the Taranaki 23-year-old but is looking forward to the new partnership.

"It's going to be a big challenge, I'm excited about it," Smith said.

Smith's Hurricanes and All Black partner Ma'a Nonu will miss the match - he was banned for a week after his late charge on Jimmy Cowan in the 14-9 defeat by the Highlanders last Friday.

Hayward, who was called into the squad from the training group after Nonu's suspension, got the nod from coach Mark Hammett ahead of the inexperienced Charlie Ngatai.

Ngatai, 20, has yet to make his Super rugby debut and is expected to feature on the bench, while Hayward has experience to call on. He played nine times for the Highlanders over two years after making his debut in 2009.

Smith said the backline would feel the absence of Hosea Gear, who is sidelined after injuring his shoulder against the Highlanders, and Nonu, but playing with a new midfield partner was preferable to not having one at all.

"It was a tough game to play without him [Nonu]. We're a team that likes to use our width and probably our most influential member in playing that sort of game spent most of it on the sideline."

While disappointed with the performance against the Highlanders, Smith said it was hard to assess how they were placed after being shorthanded during the match.

"We've all been hard on ourselves. We didn't play well, but I can't overstate how tough it was when you've only got 14.

He said the game "never got going and it wasn't what we wanted to put out on the track. We've got the opportunity to put that right."

Smith said the onus would be on the experienced players to lift the side, but warned that some were just getting back into the groove after the summer off.

"A lot of the All Blacks have only been back ... for a couple of weeks so you can't expect those guys to be fronting in their best form and they're the ones that lead a team."

Smith and Hayward may face the imposing duo of Robbie Fruean and Sonny Bill Williams in the Crusaders' midfield but Smith was more concerned about the collective threat posed by the Crusaders. "They're a team that have great individuals, but it's the way they play as a team."

- NZPA