Kiwi Smith on sabbatical until World Cup
NEW Zealand’s Ben Smith will face Australia in two tests at the start of the Rugby Championship next month, but play no more rugby after that until next season, his agent said yesterday.
The All Blacks vice-captain, 31, widely seen as one of the best fullbacks in the world, negotiated a sabbatical into his new contract in February and will be unavailable for eight internationals.
The break is aimed at ensuring that Smith reaches the 2019 World Cup in good shape and follows a precedent set by Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, who both had sabbaticals between the 2011 and 2015 World Cups.
“Contractually he’s on sabbatical now,” his agent Warren Alcock said.
“He decided to make himself available for the two Bledisloe games as he has missed some rugby this year.
“We built in quite a significant sabbatical for him because to get him through to 2019 we felt that was what he was going to need physically and mentally.”
Smith missed the last two tests against the British and Irish Lions because of what were initially thought to be concussion symptoms but later found to be caused by an inner-ear problem.
“What has changed is [that] he was injured and had a reasonable break out of Super Rugby and missed a couple of Lions games, so he’s reassessed things and decided he was keen to be available for the next two games and then he’ll take his sabbatical,” Alcock said.
Meanwhile, Wallabies openside flanker Sean McMahon has signed a twoyear deal to play club rugby in Japan and said he would almost certainly not play in a second World Cup in 2019.
McMahon, 23, the latest victim of Australia’s glut in worldclass No 7s, has not disclosed which Top League club he will join, but said he had played his last game for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby.
“We’ll be done with the Rebels at the end of this season. I won’t be playing in Australia next year,” he said.
“It was a very big call to make. There were a few factors, a few personal ones and a few other issues, but it obviously was a big decision for my career and my personal life.
“Pretty happy with my decision and so is my wife.”
McMahon has played only 15 tests since making his debut against Wales in 2014, his chances limited by injury but mostly by David Pocock and Michael Hooper.