JUNE/JULY 2015 // NZ RUGBY WORLD //
31
[ the smiths ]
inside channel?’ And the answer is yes you can because they
have got smart ways, they have got a lot of courage, they are
strong and they can still do their jobs and then what they bring
is a high degree of skills – the quality of pass and kick that
brings a different dimension to the game.
“You have got to be world class at something and if you are a
smaller individual then you have got to be really skilful and very
intelligent with it and that is what he [Aaron] brings in particular.”
The other two Smiths are not so obviously undersized but they
certainly don’t have the same physical presence as most of their
peers. If the All Blacks wanted, they could feel a three-quarter
line that is ridiculously large. Imagine a midfield of Williams and
Nonu, with Malakai Fekitoa and Savea on the wings and Israel
Dagg at fullback. The latter, at 1.88m and 98kg, would be the
little man.
It’s a frightening scenario and the fact it’s not been an option
for this current selection panel says plenty about the qualities
they want to take into test football and the confidence they have
in the Smiths.
The All Blacks want to be a side that has subtlety and craft to
offer as much rapier as they do bludgeon. They want guile and
creativity to offset the direct and abrasive. They want thinkers
as much as they want followers and above all else, they want all
round footballers who can find alternate ways to unpick even the
tightest defences.
“I wouldn’t say that Conrad and Ben are small but they are
smaller than some other players who play in their positions,” says
Foster. “Rather than look at it from a brain versus brawn point of
view I think at our level all the players are smart. I guess it is a
real high self-awareness of what they are good at.
“For example, Conrad is very sharp at identifying weaknesses
in a defence and where the space is. His way of manipulating that
would be different from say a Ma’a [Nonu] or a Sonny [Bill
Williams] but they all work hard at identifying the weaknesses
and then they use whatever strengths they have to break them.
“For Conrad, it might be change in pace. It might be deception
with ball in his hand. For Ben it might be that he decelerates a lot
so the defence has to slow down and then when he sees them slow
he uses his footwork and acceleration. You have got players like
Cory Jane who uses his fend. Everyone develops their own area
that they go back to when they see space. They say I have got
these tools to help me go to it and I love the fact that if you have
all your players who have the same technique in how they want to
manipulate a defence then it becomes harder for us to become
unpredictable.”
rOlE
Defence Coach
PrEViOuS rOlES
Technical Analyst, Head
Coach, Assistant Coach
KEy SKillS
Emotionally intelligent
Superb analyst
Simple communicator
Passionate to the core
Honest and dedicated
thIs yeAr, there is a fourth
Smith in the All Black fold. And
like the other Smiths, this one is
exceptional and equipped with
the potential to make a major
dierence at the World Cup.
Wayne Smith is back with the
national team for his...well for
what could be termed his fourth
stint. Smith is the man who
can’t say no to the All Blacks but
the real question is why do the
All Blacks keep asking him to be
involved?
The answer is simple: he’s a
an astute, clever, articulate,
visionary coach who many
current and recent All Blacks
would consider the best with
whom they have worked.
The genius of Smith is not so
much the technical and
strategical ideas that
continually pop into his head,
but his ability to relate them to
players and successfully
implement them.
Smith is a man who knows
how to win the trust of players.
He is a man who knows how to
get the best of athletes and he’s
returning to the coaching team
in 2015 as defensive coach as
much at the behest of the
players as Steve Hansen.
Be certain – Hansen wants
him there. Really wants him
there as he has the deepest
respect and admiration for the
coaching gifts of Smith.
Hansen knows that in World
Cup year, the little things will
matter. He knows the detail
will be critical: from lineout
pod formation; to kick-o
strategy, to body shape at the
tackled ball and most critically
– the defensive wall the All
Blacks build.
The All Blacks weren’t
content with the way they
defended last year. They leaked
a few too many soft tries and
didn’t exert enough pressure
when they didn’t have the ball.
Smith has been brought in as
defensive coordinator – and no
one in world rugby can match
the sophistication of his analysis
and subsequent technical and
tactical application of defensive
structures.
“He’s a coach with a wealth of
knowledge,” says Hansen. “He’s
also got a wealth of knowledge
about the All Blacks and he’s
innovative. So we saw him as a
natural fit.
“I also think that because he
hasn’t been part of our coaching
crew [since 2012] he hasn’t been
blinded by the trees. What I
mean by that is that he can see
the wood – he’s been outside
looking in and will have formed
his own ideas about what we
have been doing and will be
able to challenge us and bring
fresh thinking.
“That should bring a new
stimulus and get us all excited
and create the opportunity to
do things a bit dierently in his
area [defence].”
Smith will deliver the tiny
improvements that will make
the All Blacks that bit tougher to
break down.
Smith will find the edge they
need to use their tackling as an
oensive weapon to create
turnover and counter attack
opportunity. And perhaps, most
significantly, he’ll provide the
squad, particularly the senior
players, with the sage mind and
calm demeanour that deepens
the confidence.
WAyNE
SMiTH
iN DEMAND
Wayne Smith brings a
skill set that will always
be in demand.
