Hansen regrets Smith omission at World Cup

All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen has revealed a selection blunder from the failed 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The All Blacks campaign came unstuck in the semifinals with a 19-7 loss to England, and Hansen admits he has a major regret from that fateful night in Yokohama.

Hansen opted to play Beauden Barrett at fullback with rookie wings Sevu Reece and George Bridge making up the back three.

The glaring omission was versatile try-machine Ben Smith with 83 tests to his name.

Hansen, who retired after the tournament, has admitted not picking Smith was a mistake that has haunted him as the All Blacks failed to deliver an unprecedented hat-trick of titles following their 2011 and 2015 successes.

‘‘If I had my time again, I would have picked him,’’ Hansen wrote for Smith’s just released biography, Ben Smith: More Than A Game.

Smith had a rocky buildup to the 2019 World Cup, which was to be his swansong, as he was overtaken by Reece and Bridge out wide and couldn’t nail down the No 15 jersey either.

He played off the bench in the All Blacks’ tournament opener, a 23-13 win over the Springboks, and in the pool matches against easybeats Canada (again off the bench) and Namibia.

But he missed the last pool match against Italy and New Zealand’s two knockout matches.

Ironically, after being overlooked for the semifinal against England, Smith was handed a farewell appearance on the right wing in the bronze medal match against Wales and delivered two tries in a 40-17 victory in Tokyo.

Hansen admitted in hindsight that Smith’s experience in the semifinal would have been handy in a young backline guided by No 10 Richie Mo’unga.

Hansen said at the time that Smith’s demise was because of ‘‘a loss of self belief and confidence’’.

Smith wasn’t happy that his coach went public with that.

‘‘I found it really hard that he put that out in the media,’’ Smith said in his book, as reported by Rugby Pass. ‘‘Steve hadn’t actually sat down with me and talked that through and that was an outlet he didn’t need to go to.’’

Smith expressed his frustrations with the way his last World Cup, and final fling with the All Blacks, evolved.

‘‘That was always going to be my last All Black campaign and I felt I still had some rugby in me,’’ Smith said in his book.