Lighter load planned for Smith
The Highlanders and All Blacks have started planning about how to get Aaron Smith to the next Rugby World Cup after the halfback admitted he was ‘‘a broken man’’ at the end of Super Rugby Aotearoa in 2020.
Smith, 32, announced yesterday that he has committed to New Zealand Rugby for the next two years to give himself job security and the ability to chase a spot in the All Blacks squad in 2023.
However, the days of Smith being flogged for 70-plus minutes a week at the Highlanders are finished as part of a three-party strategy to keep Smith at the top of his game.
‘‘In talking with ‘Jonesy’ [Highlanders trainer Simon Jones], our coaches here and Nic Gill [All Blacks trainer] as well there is a real plan around, ‘how do I get there’?’’ Smith said.
‘‘So, I can’t do what I did in Super Rugby Aotearoa last year and play 78 minutes every week, throw my body into hell, and hope that I’m going to get there.
‘‘That is just not fathomable and at the end of Aotearoa last year I was a broken man.’’
Smith’s comments indicate the big role the Highlanders have for backup halfback Folau Fakatava, if they can keep him.
Fakatava replaced Smith after 57 minutes against the Crusaders on Friday and after the game Highlanders coach Tony Brown said Fakatava was ‘‘probably’’ the second-best halfback in the country.
Fakatava is off contract at the end of this season, but the Highlanders are clearly keen to keep him to take the load off Smith while developing under the brilliant All Black.
‘‘When I get told to chill out or when I get subbed off I’ve just got to accept that’s what it is, whether I’m starting or coming off the bench or just doing my role for whatever team I’m in, if I’m selected, then I’m going to be grateful for that,’’ Smith said.
‘‘Those days trying to be the man and being rode like a horse . . . you just can’t do it.’’
Smith’s dedication to training in recent years has given him the chance to go through to 2023.
He revealed he trained on Christmas Day and now prides himself as being the sort of athlete who puts in the mahi when he knows others are resting.
‘‘I was talking to my wife and I feel better than I did when I was 27 or 28,’’ Smith said.
‘‘The way I look after my body, the way I eat, the way I live now. . . the technology is out there now around how to recover better.
‘‘I put a lot of time into my body with training but I also put a lot of time into my body with recovery.’’
Smith would not have been short of offers but made it clear that it was a simple decision to stay in New Zealand.
Covid-19 uncertainty had played a role, but he also wanted to give himself the security of a two-year deal that would allow him time to recover and return even if he did sustain a serious injury.
‘‘It was a really easy decision in the current climate,’’ Smith said.
‘‘For me it was around that stability for the next few years. I feel good in my body and my mind around keep wanting to play rugby.’’
Smith was one of the best players in the country last year, and All Blacks coach Ian Foster welcomed his decision to commit to New Zealand.
‘‘He is so instrumental in the way we play the game and is such a vital cog for us, both on and off the field, so this is fantastic news,’’ Foster said.
Brown, who has tried to boost the experience within the Highlanders squad, was delighted to keep the services of his cocaptain.
‘‘As co-captain, ‘Nug’ is a huge part of this team,’’ Brown said.