SMITH’S CANCER

ABs tactical genius given all-clear after surgery to remove tumours Tells of relief after keeping illness secret during Rugby Champs Speaks out to ‘encourage guys in their 50s to go and get the tests’

Smith was happy to speak about his experience with prostate cancer in the hope it ‘‘might encourage guys in their 50s to go and get the tests, and get a marker. It doesn’t mean you’ve got it, but if it is there, you can fix it.’’

In Smith’s case, warning signs first appeared at about the time the Lions’ tour began last June.

A non smoking, fit, healthy eater, Smith’s kept himself never more than eight or nine kilos above his playing weight in the 1980s. Since he turned 50 he’s been having an annual medical check-up, covering everything from cardio tests to cholesterol levels.

‘‘My doctor in Cambridge [where Smith and his wife Trish live], John Russell, decided to start doing some PSA tests, when I was getting blood tests.’’

PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen, a protein produced by the prostate. Changing levels can be a sign there are cancer cells in the prostate. coach, so I was trying to juggle both things, and tried not to think about it too much really.

‘‘Through the Rugby Championship I knew I had it, but I didn’t really talk to anyone. The only one was the team doctor, Tony Page, and I didn’t even tell him.

‘‘I just said I was struggling to sleep, and he gave me some great advice: ‘Just think about the past, not the future, then your mind won’t be too active.’

‘‘That was great, because sometimes I had been lying there at night thinking, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ But after talking to Tony I was able to handle it pretty well. The urologist wasn’t too worried because it was pretty slow moving. That was the line I took.

‘‘Still at times you have a wee moment where you think ‘Gee, I hope this is going to be alright.’’’

When the time came to make a decision on treatment wife Trish joined Smith in researching the subject.

‘‘Trish was great. She was reading a lot about it, and would suggest things I should look at. Eventually my mind set was, ‘Just get the thing out.’ The urologist didn’t really make recommendations, but he gave me a lot of options.’’

Before the operation came a CT scan (basically a computer programmed examination of a series of X-rays) to see if the cancer had spread elsewhere.

‘‘The results took a week to come through, and I was starting to picture, ‘Jeez, are there that many on the screen that they’re still counting them? Have I got it everywhere?’

‘‘Then the text came through: ‘You’re all clear, apart from the prostate.’ It was as simple as that. The relief was enormous.’’

‘‘We made the decision for the prostatectomy (full removal of the prostate), and chose Michael Holmes, and the anaesthetist, Rob Carpenter, knowing that the treatment would be world class.

‘‘I was so impressed. They were brilliant. The whole operation and the recovery was easier than some of the rugby injuries I’ve had.

‘‘I was out of the hospital after a day and a half, at home walking around and recovering really early. I wasn’t on opioids, no morphine, or anything, because they were so great at managing the pain immediately after the operation.’’

The discovery he had cancer played no role in Smith’s decision to step down from the All Black coaching team.

‘‘Leaving (the All Blacks) was decided at end of 2016. But what’s happened (having prostate cancer) did clarify for me that I’d made the right decision. It sort of made me think, someone’s looking after you.

‘‘Now I’ve got to spend time making sure I get myself right. I have a couple of little projects I started immediately.

‘‘I’m very goal-oriented. So I’m doing a bit of work. And I’m walking every day, getting back into it.’’ Eddie Jones press conference should England beat the All Blacks in November. No one is rushing to the doctor’s door for that digital examination.

But by giving the subject some air time – and demystifying it – Smith has made that that trip a whole lot easier.

Smith was diligent about getting checked. So when he found out something was wrong it could be treated. It’s a story that every Kiwi male

Wayne Smith was diagnosed during the British and Irish Lions series but did not tell anyone – even the All Blacks team doctor or, above, his long-term friend and fellow coach Steve Hansen.