Smith bursts from obscurity to top job
When Aaron Smith and Aaron Cruden run onto Waikato Stadium tonight they will become the first pair of Manawatu players to represent the All Blacks since Mark Shaw and Gary Knight played against the Wallabies at Eden Park in 1985.
Although they represented different schools and clubs, the pair regularly played alongside each other in provincial age-group teams and possess a near-telepathic understanding of each other’s nuances on the rugby field.
Smith chose a carefully selected memory of Cruden in recalling the one time they squared off for their respective first XVs.
‘‘We only played once and luckily we [Feilding Boys High School] got up that day,’’ Smith chirped. ‘‘[Palmerston North] Boys’ High always had a pretty strong first XV and that was our one year we had a pretty strong team.
‘‘He [Cruden] was at second-five that day and I was at first five-eighth which was a bit of a crack-up.’’
Both were on the field in the first test against Ireland at Auckland but Cruden came on after Smith had been substituted.
It was a busted cheekbone suffered by Chris Smylie that proved a turning point in Smith’s rugby career. Smith had just completed a season with the Blues’ wider training squad two years ago when he was picked in the Jamie Joseph-coached New Zealand Maori squad.
A relative unknown outside his home province the halfback, then 21, expected to keep his backside clamped to the reserves bench as the more experienced Smylie snatched the No 9 jersey.
Then Smylie suffered a nasty facial injury against the New Zealand Barbarians, unwittingly elevating Smith to starts in the historic wins over Ireland and England.
Smith, who will earn his third All Blacks cap against Ireland at Waikato Stadium on Saturday night, was about to hit pay dirt. He went from a player who would have missed the Maori squad if Piri Weepu wasn’t wanted for the All Blacks to signing a Super contract with the Highlanders.
Despite being on the Blues books in 2010 Smith didn’t represent the franchise.
But new Highlanders boss Jamie Joseph, who had been impressed by Smith during their stint with the Maori, offered the halfback a contract and gazumped the Hurricanes and Blues.
Breakthrough season: