Smithy stays loyal: I'm sticking with the ABs

Wayne Smith has ended speculation about his coaching future, announcing that he has turned down overseas offers and will keep working with his beloved All Blacks.
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Smith confirmed his immediate future here today as the All Blacks soaked up the pleasure of their Grand Slam, a sequence of four wins over the Home Nations that was completed with the 32-6 drubbing of England.

The passionate All Blacks backs coach had a massive offer in front of him from Welsh club Ospreys as well as others to consider.

Smith, forwards coach Steve Hansen and head coach Graham Henry fronted a media session at the team hotel before the quad dispersed.

Top of the agenda was his future: "I'm staying with the All Blacks," he beamed and a wide smile came over the faces of his two cohorts.

"I gave it a lot of thought obviously. Ultimately it came down to these fellows here ... the people I coach with, the management team and the players. I don't think you can get that anywhere else."

Smith, a former All Black who has also been head coach of the team in the past, said it had also been a family decision and one he had reached with the help of his wife Trish who has been back in New Zealand. There had been many phone calls over the past few weeks while the All Blacks toured Hong Kong, Britain and Ireland.

The amount of travel Smith has been required to do has impacted on his family life. He has cut a new deal with the New Zealand Rugby Union that will allow him to reduce a lot of his domestic travel and time away from home, cutting some of the peripheral work he does, such as with the high performance areas in the game.

NZRU bosses Jock Hobbs and Steve Tew have been around the All Blacks a lot during this tour and found time to get close to Smith when it emerged that he had serious offers in front of them that were tempting him.

Smith, who came back on board after last year's World Cup failure, has a contract that runs through to the end of next year. He had an out clause at the end of this year that would have enabled him to move away to something else.

The success of the team over the past 12 months has really fired him up though and after winning the Tri-Nations in style that had been hammered home during this commanding tour of the north.

"It's been handy being away on tour I suppose," he admitted.

"I love the jersey, I love my country and I love the people I'm working with and coaching. At the end of the day that's the most important thing in the game.

"But sometimes you have to remind yourself of that."

Smith didn't want to expand on his other offers, other than to say: "You are always fielding contact. It (the Ospreys) was a serious offer but I'm sure they are talking to other people as well. They have good coaches in place as well.

"But I had to think quite deeply about it."

Henry said he was delighted to still have Smith at his side after five years working together.

"He is the best in the world at what he does. Apart from what he does, his presence in this group of people is huge - his love of the team, the All Blacks jersey and what it all means.

"I think he is actually just starting to develop as a coach really. He's getting better and better at what he does. I'm chuffed."

With a stack of highly talented specialist personnel working with the All Blacks, there has been talk of other parts of his coaching staff being head-hunted. Henry admitted retaining them would "always be a challenge".

"This group of coaches have been sought after around the world. I think that's going to be a continuous challenge. Some people want to further themselves as coaches and do other things than what they are doing at the moment.

"So there are some challenges out there they are looking to do. That's natural from time to time."

The intrigue now will be to see whether these coaches, as a group, push on to stay in charge for the next World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 and try for the ultimate redemption.

It's certianly looking that way and who could blame them after the way they have bounced back so strongly this year?

Has Wayne Smith made the right decision? Have your say below.

- © Fairfax NZ News