By Greg Stutchbury
WELLINGTON May 28 (Reuters) – All Blacks hopeful Aaron
Smith is used to making cuts.
But this week in Wellington the former apprentice
hairdresser is well aware that at least one, if not two, of the
four scrumhalves at a 35-man All Blacks training camp in New
Zealand’s capital will be trimmed when coach Steve Hansen names
his 30-man squad to face Ireland on Sunday.
“It’s a bit of a weird format, it’s a training camp, so I’m
just trying to do all of the little things right both on and off
the field,” the Otago Highlanders scrumhalf told reporters in
Wellington on Monday.
“I’m chuffed to be here, and very excited to be in the
environment. I’m just trying to soak up as much as possible.”
Mindful that World Cup winning teams have suffered a
hangover in the following year, Hansen has tried to balance his
first squad with players who have proved themselves at
international level as well as injecting fresh blood.
As such, Smith’s competition for the coveted black jersey at
the camp include World Cup winners Andy Ellis and Piri Weepu and
fellow youngster Tawera Kerr-Barlow of the Waikato Chiefs.
Wellington Hurricanes scrumhalf TJ Perenara is also
knocking, loudly, at Hansen’s door after another superb
performance in his side’s 66-24 demolition of the Melbourne
Rebels last Saturday, something that Smith said he was well
aware of.
“(They’re) all coming through at once, which is a bit of a
bugger,” joked the 23-year-old Smith who came to prominence from
one of the smaller unions, Manawatu.
Continued…
