Hooking up with Wayne Smith
Prior to meeting and greeting the Rust party I hooked up with Wayne in Kobe where he lives with wife Trisha and coaches the local rugby team the Kobe Steelers – so called as they are sponsored by Kobe Steel.
Most of Japan’s leading clubs have powerful corporate sponsorship, a solid foundation for the burgeoning national side who have won so many friends.
Conversation turned to Saturday’s semi-final.
Neither of us are fans of box kicking by scrum halves. Ben Youngs, if he does not find touch, will present the All Blacks with opportunities.
I also wonder how well the admirable English “loosies” will fare with the additional burden of Retallick and Whitelock.
If if rains – and there was a deluge of biblical proportions last night here – how reliable will Elliot Daly be under the high ball?
Wayne thinks this group understands the responsibilities of wearing the black jersey and silver fern well but the expectancy level is high. We can hardly wait.
