LONG READ Nicky Smith: 'I wouldn’t be surprised if Tigers are in this position for years to come'

Nicky Smith could be forgiven for thinking he might have made a terrible blunder in deciding to leave Sale for Leicester next season. The divergent paths taken by the two clubs this season suggest he has swapped a seat on the fast train for some floor space on a coal wagon.

There is a timeline to consider. In mid-December when the deal was announced, it did not look such an odd decision but since then the Sharks have won just two of their 11 league matches while the Tigers have won eight and are into the Prem semi-finals.

The way things have worked out is good for Smith in the short term, of course, but the long term……surely the Wales prop must be harbouring some regrets?

He laughs.

“It was a very, very tough decision. I’ve got to be brutally honest about that,” said the 32-year-old.

“The length of contract was a big one for me. I think to have sustainability knowing the age that I am – that was more important.

“My family live in Wales so I have to make the right decision for them and make sure that I know it was a stable income coming in for as long as possible, really. That’s what Sale offered and it was very difficult to turn that down.

“I actually love playing with this club – the boys, the staff, everyone – so it was nothing sore in that sense but it was just an opportunity that I just couldn’t turn down.

“It has been a disappointing season for Sale but there’s a lot of boys coming in and even though they haven’t been on the right side of the results, we played them a few weeks ago and there’s still that physical presence to them, so I’m sure they’ll have a better year next year.”

He may well be right. The signings of Courtney Lawes, Joe Marchant, Tomas Francis and Alex Lozowski – as well as Smith – promise better times at Sale but even so it must feel like he is leaving a side going places.

Of course it’s tough. As soon as I’m done here I’ll be off down the M4 back home to see the kids before bed but taking them out of school for the selfish reasons of rugby is not fair on them

What threatened to be a transition year with a new head coach in Geoff Parling and some high-profile exits with the likes of Julian Montoya and Handre Pollard leaving and Dan Cole and Ben Youngs retiring has turned out to be a title push.

Still, business is business and a three-year offer from Sale trumped two more with Leicester.

With three young boys, there are mouths to feed in the Smith household and he made the call that felt best on that front as a work-away father.

The drive back to Wales is going to be even longer when he moves to the north-west but he is insistent that the domestic arrangements, however inconvenient, will not be changing.

“Of course it’s tough. As soon as I’m done here I’ll be off down the M4 back home to see the kids before bed but taking them out of school for the selfish reasons of rugby is not fair on them,” he said.

“We really want them to have a settled schooling and for the boys to speak Welsh.

“It has its challenges but my oldest boy has now started to speak Welsh and our middle child has started to pick up a few words so for me as a Welshman, that’s a really proud moment.

“Of course you miss them and you wish you could spend more time with them but when I hear that, I know 100 per cent I’ve made the right decision.”

There is no doubt Smith will be missed by Leicester. In his two years with the club since arriving from the Ospreys, he has endeared himself to the Crumbie Stand with his disruptive scrummaging and niggly attitude. The sort of Tiger that local legend demands.

The reception he received when he was replaced against Exeter last weekend, in what may have been his final home game for the club, spoke volumes.

Going to The Rec is a challenge. It’s one of the toughest places to play in the country but I know this team always comes out swinging when the odds are against us and we back ourselves.

“It was a bit of a shock. I didn’t really expect that,” he said.

“How long have I got to explain how good Welford Road is? The support we’ve had since I’ve been here has been unbelievable and the best way we can repay that is by getting a home semi.”

Which will mean beating Bath on the road this weekend. Not many teams do that but then again the champions have been stuttering a little of late.

“Going to The Rec is a challenge. It’s one of the toughest places to play in the country but I know this team always comes out swinging when the odds are against us and we back ourselves. We’re absolutely full of confidence and we’re not going to dial that down,” said Smith.

“It was disappointing to lose at the weekend against Exeter but if it gave us things to look at, a bit of a kick up the backside, then I’ll take it all day.

“A reaction from the weekend will set us up perfectly for a good performance and a good result at The Rec. A win at the weekend is going to get us that home semi.”

It is a re-enactment of one of English rugby’s great rivalries. If Bath are in the ascendancy at present, having edged out Leicester in a tense Prem final last season, then the direction of travel from the Tigers feels like a positive one with the Prem Cup in the bag and league play-offs still to contest.

Whatever happens over the next month, Smith is convinced that the good times are back to stay at Leicester.

“I think the future is going to be very positive looking at the players who are coming through and coming in through the door,” he said.

“It’s such a well-known club, Leicester Tigers, famous worldwide – everyone knows about it – and that does come with pressure but this group of boys that are here now love that pressure.

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they are in this position for many years to come, knocking on doors for silverware and chasing titles.”

Smith will not be alongside them. He has made his decision and he has his reasons. But he is determined to go out on a high.