Smith scoffs at 'poor NZ'

20th April 2010 09:32

All Black assistant coach Wayne Smith is not taking New Zealand teams' Super 14 form as a barometer for the national team ahead of the looming Test season.

The Crusaders are sitting fair for a semi-final spot but still need to travel to the Stormers and Bulls, two of the other top four members.

The Hurricanes and Blues are both needing exceptional season finales while the Chiefs and Highlanders are out of the picture. It's not quite like last year when new Zealand occupied three of the semi-final spots.

Smith is not too concerned though, saying that the All Blacks were a separate issue.

"My thoughts on that are that the Super 14 is a poor indicator of how your national team is going to go," Smith said to Stuff.

"The All Blacks are their own entity.

"I think we have a big advantage in that we have a great relationship with our [Super 14] coaches and we are all pretty much aligned on helping our players."

The All Blacks are more evenly dispersed over the teams than they were in the heyday of the Crusaders before the last World Cup, but face a tough ask this June against Ireland and Wales before the Tri-Nations and a Grand Slam tour in November.

With Australian teams enjoying a Super Rugby resurgence and the Wallabies ending last year on a high, and with South African sides now winning regularly on the road, Smith conceded that both South Africa and Australia have reason to be happier and more confident about the state of their rugby at the moment.

But he also believes that it is the layer below the established internationals that is crucial to the national team's success at the next World Cup.

Smith believes the emerging players from the Air New Zealand Cup will take some time to develop but that from playing alongside the established All Black players they will bloom in time to reinforce that World Cup group.

"What Australia and South Africa have shown is that they have a lot of players coming through and some depth," continued Smith.

"But you can only pick 15 and I think we are going to see the best Tri-Nations we have seen for ages."