Ben Smith ends speculation about immediate future
Former All Black Ben Smith has responded to the rumours that he could be looking to make a return for the Highlanders after the French Top 14 season was cut short.
Earlier today, Smith posted on Instagram that he would not be joining the Highlanders for the new Super Rugby Aotearoa competition.
"Super Rugby Aotearoa like a great concept," the post said.
"I'm looking forward to supporting the Highlanders and watching them give it a crack. I'm not sure where the speculation has come from but I won't be playing in this year's competition.
"I'm looking forward to getting alongside my club side in Green Island and getting back to grassroots where it all started."
Smith's recent return to New Zealand had many hopeful that the former Highlanders captain could be weighing up a second stint with his former side.
RugbyPass understands that a contract with the Highlanders was never on the cards for Smith and that his return home was based more on his future plans than any short term plans for 2020.
Nehe Milner-Skudder, another former All Black outside back, has confirmed that he will be representing the Highlanders in the Super Rugby Aotearoa competition while sevens star Vilimoni Koroi will also be in action for the southerners.
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Skelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
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