Ben Smith may never have played for the Highlanders let alone the All Blacks
Were it not for being in the right place at the right time, Ben Smith may never have played for the Highlanders, let alone racked up 84 caps for the All Blacks.
Smith played a major role in the Steve Hansen-era of the New Zealand national side, covering a range of positions. Wherever the All Blacks needed to fill a gap, Smith was the man they trusted to do the job.
In 2013, Smith filled in remarkably well in the midfield while he made the majority of his appearances on the wing. Perhaps it was at fullback where the Otago man was most at home, however, and where he arguably had the biggest impact and played his best rugby.
It wasn’t in any of those positions that Smith, who was born in Dunedin and schooled at the city’s revered King’s High School, spent his formative years, however. Instead, the former Highlanders captain played most of his early rugby in the inside halves.
And come 2007, having spent a couple of years in the local club scene, he wasn’t exactly on the path to greatness that many young men now follow – though he was a handy sevens player.
Then, Smith got the break he needed thanks to a fairly sizeable stroke of luck.
“What happened was I went and played sevens for Otago one weekend up in Queenstown,” Smith told RugbyPass from his lockdown accommodation in France. “There used to be a tournament up there – it was bloody good actually.”
“At the same sort of time, they were having Highlanders trials up there.
“Because it was an internal trial, they needed a few more numbers so I got asked to come along and sit on the bench.”
That was Smith’s first real taste of Super Rugby action but the then-21-year-old still wasn’t holding his breath for much game time.
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“I got told I might get five or 10 minutes at the end,” said Smith.
Come game-day, something unfortunate and remarkable happened, depending on whose perspective you take.
“Both fullbacks went down within the first quarter. I ended up playing about 70-odd minutes – and I played at fullback.”
That was Smith’s first foray into the 15 jersey but it certainly wasn’t going to be his last.
Greg Cooper, who was coach of the Highlanders at the time, was also in charge of the New Zealand Under 21 side and he liked what he saw from the Dunedinite.
“Because I sort of managed to go ok in the preseason game, he gave me a crack in the New Zealand Under 21s and from there, things started to happen,” Smith said.
“Fullback just sort of happened from there. I got chucked there because there were a couple of injuries in that Highlanders trial game and then I was suddenly getting opportunities at a higher level.”
“Things started to happen” is perhaps a bit of an understatement.
In 2008, Smith debuted for Otago in New Zealand’s provincial competition. Six months later, he played his first match of Super Rugby. The following year, Smith was named in the All Blacks for the first time.
Not bad, for the self-described “white battler” – competing for spots in the outside backs with pacey, powerful Pacific Islanders.
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The 2009 All Blacks end of year tour to Europe was a special time for Smith, who was named on the bench against Wales but didn’t debut until a week later against Italy.
“I thought I might get a crack near the end against Wales but the way the game went, I didn’t get on,” said Smith.
“The week after, they played quite a few of us guys that hadn’t been capped before and it was an awesome experience to play for a team that you’ve grown up watching for a long time. It’ll always be a special memory.”
Smith had been a surprise selection in the All Blacks, with few fans having heard of the debutant prior to him being named in the squad.
He didn’t exactly put the world on notice during his debut like some outside backs have done, either. Smith’s first touch of the game saw him drop a box-kick from Italian halfback Tito Tebaldi.
“Yeah, not the ideal start,” Smith said. “I thought I broke my thumb, too – but it was only a sprain.”
“It was just one of those things, I suppose. Things don’t always go your way.
“Looking back, I was a young kid. I was nervous as s***. I must have been 21 or 22 and I was probably building up in my head the whole Test match.”
That was to be Smith’s only appearance for the All Blacks until 2011 when he earned a solitary cap against Fiji in the lead-up to the World Cup. It wasn’t until Hansen took over as head coach in 2012 that Smith earned a permanent spot in the team – and really started to announce himself on the world stage.
Smith accrued 10 caps in 2012, mainly off the bench, then enjoyed a rich run of games a year later, starting in all 14 of the All Blacks’ matches. He also managed 11 tries and was a nominee for the World Rugby Player of the Year award.
It was a breakout year for a man who had battled in the early stages of his career.
Despite playing primarily on the wing and, for the latter half of the year, in the midfield, fans were clamouring to see Smith at fullback – where he was utilised by the Highlanders.
They eventually got their wish, with Smith spending the better part of his remaining six years with the national side wearing 15.
Inevitably, comparisons were drawn between Smith and the man that every New Zealand fullback is eventually measured against, Christian Cullen.
Cullen was the man who set the standard in the nineties of what every fullback should aspire to.
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He glided through gaps and controlled the ball on a string like the best first fives in the business but he also had blistering top end space.
The same could all be said of Smith, the man who reinforced the fact that despite the masses of power players doing the business in the outside backs now, there’s always a place for the gliding “white battler”.
And while there’s no doubt that Cullen was an exceptional talent of his own, Smith is the one who has a World Cup winner’s medal.
Who could’ve thought that it would all come about thanks to two unfortunate Highlanders fullbacks going down in a pre-season trial?
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
69 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments