'I grew up in South Africa with the Five Nations… it was the trendsetter'
Six Nations breaks new ground this Saturday in Cardiff. After 300 games across 20 seasons featuring 31 head coaches from seven different nations, Franco Smith will become the first South African-born coach to take charge of a team in the tournament.
Of course, he’s not the first Springbok to have the honour of coaching a European country in this showpiece event. Nick Mallett, Smith’s old national team coach, was at the Italian helm for four seasons before stepping away following the 2011 World Cup.
But Mallett was English-born and initially reared in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) before his family moved to Cape Town, an upbringing that leaves Lichtenburg-born Smith out on his own when he takes charge of the Azzurri at the Principality Stadium.
A year ago, he had no inkling it might turn out like this. While Italy were off losing February matches in what was a demoralising fourth successive wooden spoon campaign, Smith was embarking on a different type of journey through European rugby as boss of the PRO14 Cheetahs.
When RugbyPass caught up with him at that time, his bags were packed for an 18-night, three-match tour taking his team to Galway, Llanelli and Dublin on their fourth of five trips that season across the equator.
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The new global tournament that World Rugby hopes will come to fruition
No sooner was he on the phone from the 27°C Bloemfontein was he asking about the winter weather in Ireland. Twelve months later, though, he will have no such qualms, the Principality Stadium roof set to keep everyone as snug as a bug in a rug in Cardiff when the kick-off whistle sounds for Wales versus Italy.
Smith’s situation with the Italians is curious, though. It was May when his club announced he would be leaving for Italy but no proper confirmation emerged until November, the South African eventually installed as interim head coach due to Conor O’Shea prematurely getting out of a contract that was due to run until the end of the 2020 Six Nations.
Interim status is hardly a ringing endorsement for what Smith has to offer in the coming weeks, but he has got down to business quickly, even boldly selecting a rookie second row who has been playing local Italian league rugby this term rather than being full-time involved with Benetton.
Plenty of new faces in the Welsh team under Wayne Pivac as they face Italy this weekend… #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/8OT0zac0XF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 30, 2020
Speaking from afar a year ago, the 47-year-old had suggested things were finally beginning to move in the right direction again at franchise level in Italy, a country where he played and coached at club level.
“The Italians have slowly found their feet, but they now know what is required and the professionalism around their teams has grown,” he said, recalling how very different things had been when he was at the helm in Treviso when they first entered the then Celtic League in 2010/11.
It was a theme he warmed to again at last week’s Six Nations launch in London, hoping the steelier mindset that has allegedly developed at franchise level can eventually pay dividends higher up the ranks in the Six Nations.
“I was one of the big campaigners for us to become part of the Celtic League. Even when I played there in 2003 and 2004, way back in the day really, we pushed for it to become part of the Celtic League. I left Italy in 2013 until now, but the Italy teams, their physicality and the rugby mindset have changed and grown a lot. There is a better perspective physically of what is expected.
“Also, rugby intelligence, that really improved and the younger generation now in Italy is starting to understand what is expected of them. They start at a much earlier age developing skill sets and physicality to be competitive, so the influence of the Six Nations in the last 20 years and also of PRO rugby in the last four to five years will only be seen from now on.”
It was during the 70s as a kid in South Africa when the joys of winter Saturday rugby afternoons in places like Cardiff, Dublin, London, Paris and Edinburgh first captured his imagination, an interest that never waned. Now all these years later he is getting to put his own South African style on proceedings. Sweet.
'I'm going nowhere' is the jist of what Italy boss Conor O'Shea had to tell RugbyPass after Cheetahs' claim about their coach Franco Smith https://t.co/VkbUHtTkL9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 15, 2019
“I grew up with the Five Nations. It was always a huge thing in South Africa. It was a point of reference for us for a very long time. When it became Six Nations 20 years ago now it was the trendsetter in the way World Rugby was approaching the new law changes. There was always something special about it, the environment, the climate conditions, the difference.
“There was a lot of things that we looked at in South Africa and developed in our game to be competitive in. The end-of-year tours we often had to come up and learn the hard way. This tournament, with the help of very competitive domestic competitions, has developed players and coaches in such an extraordinary way that they are the trendsetters in world rugby.
“From a South African point of view and from my experience of Super Rugby, it’s important to find a blend from a South African perspective between managing the conditions and having the ball in hand. The way the pitches have developed and the roofs are closed now (only in Cardiff, Franco), and there is the ball in hand approach from a lot of teams over the last couple of years.
Looks like Italian great Sergio Parisse could be retiring on his own terms after allhttps://t.co/9eFs58I9wB
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 7, 2020
“Joe Schmidt, guys like that, brought something different to the game and it showed on this side of the world that rugby can also be played not just from a kicking perspective. If I talk South African rugby we changed our style quite a bit, dramatically in the World Cup when it was tournament competition. It was less ball in hand approach.
“Italy will just have to find that balance, how can we get that perfect blend between ball in hand and field domination… every year is big for Italy. Fortunately, I spent quite a bit of that 20 years (of Six Nations) in Italy so I have got a good perspective on how much it means for them.
“There is a lot of determination, a lot of people in the rugby fraternity in Italy that absolutely love the way that this tournament is presented, the way it is played, the aura around it.”
Where are the excitement levels right now?
Not long until the opening game of the Championship…
Wales v Italy
14.15 GMT#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/4jQWy11Myb
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) January 31, 2020
Pity about the results then. Not since February 2015, when they defeated Scotland at Murrayfield 22-19, have the Italians had a win, a yawning gap visible in how Luca Morisi and Tommaso Allan are the only survivors from the 23 that day in Edinburgh who are on board for this visit to Cardiff.
A win anywhere along the line over the next seven weeks and Schmidt’s interim status will be quickly forgotten. However, there will be no guarantees if their current losing streak in the tournament jumps from 22 to 27.
SIX NATIONS HEAD COACHES
7 English-born – Woodward, Robinson, Ashton, M Johnson, Lancaster, Mallett, McGeechan;
7 New Zealand-born – Gatland, Schmidt, Johnstone, Kirwan, Cotter, Henry, Hansen;
3 Australian-born – Jones, Williams, S Johnson;
6 French-born – Laporte, Lievremont, Saint-Andre, Noves, Brunel, Berbizier;
3 Ireland-born – O’Sullivan, Kidney, O’Shea;
3 Wales-born – Ruddock, Jenkins, Howley;
2 Scotland-born – Hadden, Townsend.
* 2020 Six Nations sees the arrival of New Zealand’s Pivac, England’s Farrell, South Africa’s Smith and France’s Galthie as new head coaches
WATCH: The Rugby Pod sets the scene ahead of the 2020 Guinness Six Nations and reflects on yet more Saracens fallout
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments