YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MISS WHEN IT’S NOT THERE

AARON SMITH is an easy winner of this award as it was obvious when he was in New Zealand for the birth of his second child that the All Blacks are a different team without him.

So much of the attack relies on quick ball and there are none quicker at distributing it than Smith. TJ Perenara is a strong player but he takes too long clearing the ball - often caught flapping his arms around like a seagull. Brad Weber and Finlay Christie are faster distributors than Perenara but injuries on the November tour didn’t help either man. The mere fact Smith was flown to France for the final test shows how much the All Blacks value him.