Smith picks fa a
The Highlanders fullback was close to moving to France but a summer b and unfinished business in the black jersey made him stay, reports MAR
IN the words of a great Kiwi taken too soon, we don’t know how lucky we are. If not for the special pull of a golden Central Otago summer, the national rugby treasure we know as Ben Smith might well have decamped to the south-west of France, in the shadow of the Pyrenees Mountains.
Smith, the Highlanders and All Black fullback, had a big decision to make over the recent off-season as he weighed his contractual options. Of course he had a tasty offer from New Zealand Rugby, carefully structured to fit the requirements of a man now rated the finest No 15 in the sport. At 30, at the peak of his powers, with 60 tests tucked under his belt, the thought dawned that this could be the most important decision of his rugby life.
On the other side of the ledger sat a delicious deal from the Pau club in France that offered, not just vaster riches, but also some tempting lifestyle options. Smith, for the first time in a career that has been trending upwards for the last halfdozen years, was genuinely torn on the delicate matter of just where he would play his rugby (from 2018 on).
Of course, we know he chose New Zealand. He chose loyalty. He chose family. He chose to continue the quest to become a truly great All Black that national coach Steve Hansen is adamant holds a value far beyond the swagbags of cash rich northern clubs use to tempt accomplished Kiwis away from their homeland.
He chose a deal that will take him through to 2020, with the possibility of rethinking things after the 2019 World Cup. Now, with the benefit of perspective, he’s pretty sure he also chose wisely.
Smith is enjoying a few welcome days’ respite from the rigours of Super Rugby at his holiday home in Wanaka, Central Otago (the Highlanders are on bye week). Sunday News catches him tending to newborn Walter and 2-year-old Anabelle, with wife Katie close by. This is Smith’s world away from rugby, and one that drives the decisions he’s made to stick around and continue with the special things he’s doing with the Highlanders and All Blacks.
‘‘It’s awesome,’’ he beams of his new outlook as a husband and father. ‘‘It gives you a bit of balance and probably puts rugby in perspective a wee bit. If you’ve had a tough day or a game hasn’t gone well, it’s easy to park that and get home and spend time with the family, and move on.’’
During a long chat the sometimes reticent Smith is at his reflective best. He covers a raft of territory, from his decision to stay, the special culture that fuels the Highlanders, to head knocks, and the looming visit from the British and Irish Lions. It’s a treat to hear from a man not always comfortable opening up on himself.
So, how tough was that decision to stay?
‘‘It was probably weighing up what point in my rugby I was at and if I still had more to give in New Zealand,’’ says Smith. ‘‘I thought I still had more ahead of me, and could continue to play some good rugby.’’ But then comes the admission. ‘‘France was pretty tempting,’’ he continues. ‘‘The fact we could probably have had a lot more family time over there, with less travel, were things I had to think about. Somewhere like Pau, I’ve got some good mates over there and they’ve got a lot of Kiwis. I put a lot of thought into, and giving something else a crack as far as a new culture and new way of doing things was pretty tempting.’’ Thankfully, there was a ‘‘but’’. ‘‘I had a gut feeling I wanted to stay, and that was Katie’s gut feeling too. I think sitting in Wanaka over Christmas and New Year, once rugby had finished and we were able to have a bit of down time, that probably sunk in at that time. We’ve got awesome support from both our families in Dunedin and that also helped. They wanted to see their grandchildren, and we didn’t want to be over on the other side of the world making that so much harder.’’
So, does Smith have any advice for the young Kiwi rugby players wrestling with similar decisions?
‘‘My only advice would be that person has to do what’s right for them, and weigh up all the options. It’s not always just about money; it’s about what they want to achieve and where they want to achieve it. For some guys it’s about experiencing something new. I think it’s awesome what Aaron Cruden is doing. You’ve got to support guys who choose that option.’’
You wonder, too, about the All Blacks. Smith has won a World Cup, and is now Kieran read’s designated No 2 in the national setup. But his true legacy is still being writ.
The Lions is pretty exciting this year, and hopefully I can continue to be involved with another World Cup.’ BEN SMITH