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Force to sign Hurricanes flyer
- Bret Harris
- From: The Australian
- October 23, 2010 12:00AM
WESTERN Force is poised to sign powerful Hurricanes winger David Smith as an emerging foreign player for next year's Super rugby series.
Although he has played 30 games for the Hurricanes since making his Super rugby debut against Queensland Reds in 2007, Smith is uncapped with the All Blacks, which means he would be eligible to play for the Wallabies in three years.
Smith, 25, was born in Samoa and was spotted while on a schoolboys rugby tour of New Zealand and offered a scholarship to attend Auckland's Mount Albert Grammar School, making the Auckland sevens team while still a student.
After playing for Auckland in the National Provincial Championship in 2006, Smith was touted as "The next great thing in waiting".
He was drafted by the Hurricanes in 2007 and made the permanent move to Wellington two years later.
Meanwhile, the Force's John Eales Medal-winning David Pocock said the Wallabies would have to take a leaf out of the All Blacks' playbook if they wanted to end their 10-game losing streak to the Kiwis in Hong Kong next Saturday.
"There is a lot of pressure on us to keep improving and start winning more games," Pocock said.
"An important thing for us is to keep focusing on our game.
"They are a very talented team and able to adapt in games and find ways to win. That's the challenge for us to do the same.
"The last two years we have lost quite a few close games. New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland (draw). All games we were in right to the end, but we didn't do enough. A focus for us is how to close out those games.
"It's something we have to fix, and we are working hard on it.
"It comes down to you focusing on what you can do as a team and not worrying too much about them.
"If we can focus on ourselves for 80 minutes and play the best we can, I think we'll go well."
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225942446366
So Ripia has been signed as the marquee player and David Smith potentially as the emerging player, even though both of them qualify as an emerging player under the new rules.
David Smith has definitely got something that we lack out wide (pure speed), however he is on the vertically challenged side of the ruler.
Yeah, he's short, but it doesn't matter when you're that quick. We also have plenty of tall outside backs, so there'll be no problem lining him up with two six footers. The question will be, which wing? If Graham listens to Deand JOC will line up for a wing, that would push Shep into fullback and Cummo to the other wing......where does our quickest winger slot into that??? Of course, I reckon Graham (man, if a coach ever needed a nickname, it's him) should play rabbit at 12 leaving a free wing for Smith (left wing too!)
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Noice! There's nothing worse, when posting on. A mobile device than somebody who's got two long names!
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Son has an android. I've got a symbian, which will be replaced by android as soon as the contract's up (after looking at his) but my mobile device for websurfing's an iPad.
Tech-geek much?
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David Smith is a good signing. Or outside backs are looking pretty healthy. I'm guessing this means either Cummins will be looked at as an option at 13 or maybe they are thinking of JOC at 10 or 12. Sign we haven't signed any other 10/12 types.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
I think it'd have to be JOC at 12 with wing/fullback as an option. Inman at 13 with possibly Cummins as a backup Shep, Cummo and Smith as the back three with Spanner on the bench as mr versatile. It'd give you the option of stacking the bench with forwards if required too. When you think of who has been released we're a lot better off than last year, David Smith would be replacing Haig Sare!!!
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Smith has serious speed and a pretty handy tryline strike rate off the bench.
I'm happy, as far as happy can be in overseas signings, but that is another debate.
Welcome David![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Bestest new signing in a while. Seriously impressed.
Given the season is going to be a few games longer, I think having more quality players instead of bench covers is pretty important.
David Smith is a good addition.
Our backs are generally pretty big (exception of JOC of course) and aren't the quickest (Cummins excepted) so adding a fast back is pretty important.