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Smithy's Sermon: Is Wayne Smith's All Blacks SOS an admission of failure?
Ian Smith • September 24th, 2024 3:34 pm
All hail ‘The Professor’ - Wayne Smith is back in town to solve those last-quarter problems and he probably will.
I'm picking the All Blacks to deal to the Wallabies this weekend in Wellington. Because he’s the man with the right theories and what's more, the ability to get them across to all and sundry.
The man with the most respect in New Zealand Rugby has been summoned.
Smith is the guru, of that there is no doubt. I wonder how much NZR has shelled out to lock him in and make sure that no one else can tap him and sap him - it's gold that sap, that knowledge.
Maybe it was always the plan to get him in at this point, to have a bit of a last match of the championship review. Or maybe it wasn't? If it was Scott Robertson's call, it’s not quite an SOS, but a small version of it.
Or is it an admission of failure? Is it an admission that after eight Test matches you've run out of ideas?
We've been told that the first job of review for the current crop of coaches - down by one after Leon MacDonald's exit - is to look at yourself on a Monday and say 'as a coach, could I have done better? Was my performance this week in terms of preparing this team as good as it could have been?'
Is there a specialist last-quarter coach? When you're changing the personnel of your team at that stage of the match by almost half, should there be one?
A ‘bomb squad’ coach – could that be the professor's new tag?
It can't be denied, we are scrambling and bumbling - largely through ill-discipline and errors - our way to the finish line, and it clearly can't continue.
And on the off chance that Smith can't fix the problem, rest easy - we've now got Chay Fihaki to do the deed. Clearly a far better performing footballer than all other candidates, so clear that only a few can see it.
Only a sarcastic man, a very sarcastic man, should suggest the likes of Corey Kellow, Taha Kemara, Brodie McAlister, Heremaia Murray and Jamie Hannah should all have their phones at the ready.
Unknown Crusaders, but All Blacks and waiting. Only a really sarcastic man would be suggesting that.
Tune into Ian Smith on SENZ Mornings 9am-midday weekdays except Thursdays.
