Conrad Smith

Historically, when New Zealand alternates and makes changes where they're 15 and they're 13, that is when they are unsuccessful.

But when they have an out-and-out fullback at the back, in a Ben Smith, in a Israel Dagg, when they have an out-and-out 13 on the field, in a Conrad Smith, or, you know, a Sonny Bill Williams, or my nonny played 13th, They tend to be successful in big tournaments and tend to be successful.

But when they keep on changing, I mean, remember 1999, you spoke about it.

I knew you were going there.

Give me five where he's been Frank Bunce.

Give me five where he's been Conrad Smith.

Give me five where he's been Bruce Robertson or Joe Stanley or one of our great centers.

I can't give you five.

I think Quinten Paiu looks great, and that's a blossoming combo.

When you think back to the great New Zealand team though, they had, like, their center partnership, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith.

Like, has it been, has it been better ever?

Um, they were...

And, you know, they'll learn from that.

I mean, South Africa, when you look at their team, I mean, those guys have now been around for like two cycles, and those guys used to lose games against the Matanonus and Conrad Smith teams and Richie McCaw before they matured, like the Landys and the Creoles and all them, and won World Cup rugby game finals twice.

So this team will take, yeah, at least five, eight years to mature, then they'll become right.

But it's just that they're young, and they make mistakes, and that's the...

I th- I always had the feeling that De Allende was headed for being a bit of a wasted talent because I always saw in him abilities that the Springboks weren't harnessing enough, the range of his skills.

But the, the fact of the matter is now i- it's a bit like the Conrad Smith, Martin Manu thing, is that, that they're just such a great combination, such a great, uh, connection between those two that they become so influential in a test match.

And, and, you know, they ...

You can see a g- a guy like De Allende might only get one chance in a game but he'll take it because he's so-

He was proper.

Nnonu and Conrad Smith, um, amazing center partnership.

Toughest you faced.

Yeah.

But what do you think about that?

It's a big call, and immediately when he said it, I thought, "Wow, that's a crowded field." I mean, you mentioned Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith.

We go back to guys like Frank Bunce and Walter Little, to Bruce Robertson, who played alongside-

Mm