World Cup-winning New Zealand full-back Ben Smith talks to NEALE HARVEY about the highlights of a stellar career, disappointment at Japan 2019, his decision to join Top 14 outfit Pau and the future of the All Blacks and Super Rugby.
How are you coping with lockdown in France?
We’re pretty lucky. I’ve got my wife and two kids and we decided to go and stay with my teammate, Luke Whitelock, and his wife Claire for lockdown. They live a wee bit out of Pau where there’s more space and a chance to roam a bit more freely with the kids.
Having a few fellow Kiwis at Pau must help?
Yes, we’ve got Luke, Tom Taylor, Colin Slade, and Daniel Ramsay, while Conrad Smith and Paul Tito are on the management team. I feel sorry for ‘Fish’ (Tito) because his family’s gone back so he’s in lockdown by himself and doing it tough. But he’s discovering the movie world and we’re all keeping in touch with him, which is important for a guy who’s so isolated. Not knowing how long this will last is frustrating for all of us but you can’t do much about it.
Why did you decide to join Pau?
I got a good insight because of the people I knew who were already here. They’re great guys who said it was a good club and the thing I liked is that Pau were a side that over the last few years have managed to get into the Top 14 and are now fighting to move their way up. At all clubs it’s about who you’re playing alongside and who you play for on the coaching side, and as a place it was a good opportunity for us to do some travelling. We’re pretty close to places like Bordeaux, Biarritz, Andorra and down into Spain so we’d planned to have a good look around before all this stuff happened.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 12, 2020 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 12, 2020 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Morris hat-trick lifts Steelmen
HOOKER Ieuan Morris came off the bench to settle matters for Ebbw Vale at Carmarthen Quins with his stunning second half hat-trick completing a 39-11 victory in Super Rygbi Cymru.
Joe keen to follow in family footsteps
JOE Ford is leading the charge to take Doncaster Knights to the promised land but says they have a long way to go before that becomes reality.
Robson keen to make it to the top with Coventry
COVENTRY ended the first five-match block of fixtures as the Championship’s only unbeaten side and full-back Charlie Robson has his sights set on promotion, and eventually playing for England.
Hancox joins the 200 club
AFTER 10 years of donning the red, black and yellow shirt for Bournemouth, skipper Grant Hancox made his 200th appearance this month after their Regional 2 South Central clash against Winchester.
Bear keen to be a big hit Down Under
FORMER Cornish Pirates back row Bear Williams has flourished in making the difficult transition from rugby union to league and has plans to play in Australia’s NRL. `
To play in two World Cups was a dream
RUGBY started quite late for me.
Call time on this pantomime ploy
THIS 60-second shot clock twaddle. If we must continue to plough down this blind alley it needs to apply from the moment the referee awards the penalty. If the authorities are going to put some stick about at least do it properly and with conviction.
Coetzee's pulling his weight again
WHETHER he starts or comes off the bench, Jaco Coetzee is just happy to be contributing fully to Bath’s revival after an injury-hit start to his career in blue, black and white.
Murray's on a wing - and a prayer ...
BLAIR Murray began the week ‘in a state of shock’ at having gone from nowhere on one side of the world to the starting grid for the autumn Tests on the other.
We need to kick on after winning at last
Paul Rees talks to Ethan Grayson who heard from two rugby legends after he helped Newcastle end their 25-match losing run
