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.
Esta historia es de la edición April 12, 2020 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición April 12, 2020 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.
