Nugget’s experience vital for All Blacks
Aaron Smith is the sole survivor of the All Blacks’ backline that stalked, and eventually exasperated, the Wallabies during their last visit to Suncorp Stadium.
Since substitute first fiveeighth Colin Slade converted Malakai Fekitoa’s late try to give the New Zealanders a 29-28 win over the Wallabies in Brisbane three years ago, the men who wore numbers 10 to 15 that night have either aligned themselves with alternative employers or are recovering from injuries.
Playmaker Beauden Barrett, who was replaced by Slade in the 70th minute that evening, has remained loyal to New Zealand Rugby but won’t play against the Wallabies at Suncorp on Saturday night because of concussion symptoms, while fullback Israel Dagg, another who stuck around in New Zealand, has been rehabilitating a knee injury that will force him to stay in Christchurch for the remainder of the year.
A large chunk of the backline have taken control of their own destiny by accepting lucrative deals offshore.
Second five-eighth Fekitoa, dropped from the All Blacks prior to the series against the British and Irish Lions, will soon link with French club Toulon. Centre Conrad Smith now earns his bacon playing on the continent for the Pau club, alongside Slade.
The careers of wings Julian Savea and Cory Jane have taken alternative paths. The former is still contracted to NZ Rugby but is playing for Wellington because he cannot break into the All Blacks squad, while Jane is now in Japan.
Charles Piutau replaced Jane at halftime during the last foray to Brisbane and is considered the world’s highest paid player, with English club Bristol paying a salary worth around $1.8 million a year.
That leaves halfback Aaron Smith, who will make his 68th test appearance on Saturday night as the last man standing from that match in 2014.
Smith might carry his share of his off-field baggage, and he is still being investigated by NZ Rugby for his infamous toil tryst at Christchurch Airport last year, but it is durability, speed to the rucks and swift pass that make him such a vital spark plug in the All Blacks machine.
The controversy that spilled into the public domain after the airport incident resulted in a significant loss of confidence when he returned from a break in playing.
It wasn’t as if the selectors wanted to chuck him under a bus, either; they waited until the squad went overseas until they asked him to return to work.
However Smith looked nervous and error-prone in his comeback game against Ireland in Chicago, which the All Blacks lost, in early November.
Things didn’t get any rosier in his other outings against Italy and Ireland, leading to him being dropped to allow the inform TJ Perenara to start the final match against France in Paris.
A summer back in New Zealand, and a solid campaign with the Highlanders, resulted in the 28 year old reclaiming his halfback jersey and leaving Perenara and Kerr-Barlow, who leaves for France at the end of the year, to jostle for the No 21 jersey.
Smith’s game control and nous will be as important as it has ever been during this return to Suncorp. With Barrett (59 tests) unavailable, Sonny Bill Williams has the next most caps with 42.
Smith might be a rough diamond in some aspects, but the ‘‘Nugget’’ undoubtedly offers value on the park. In the absence of Barrett it remains as important as ever.