Smith joins Brumbies coaching ranks

Updated December 11, 2012 08:09:23

Former NRL coach Brian Smith has joined the coaching staff of Super Rugby club the ACT Brumbies for next season.

Smith coached NRL clubs Parramatta, St George Illawarra, Newcastle and the Roosters.

Smith never won a premiership in more than 20 years as a top grade coach, but his football experience and track record with young players will certainly help an inexperienced Brumbies squad.

He will take on the Brumbies' role vacated by Newcastle Knights veteran Danny Buderus, working alongside Brumbies head coach Jake White.

Brumbies' chief executive Andrew Fagan says Smith will bring a wealth of experience to the club.

"There is particular focus of his work around those defensive systems, but I think because of his experience we'll be using him to look at exchanging ideas in all sorts of areas," Fagan said.

The Brumbies' appointment of Buderus as a part-time coach was over even before it started, with the NRL blocking the rugby franchise's move to sign him as a collision coach.

The league issued a statement seeking "an immediate explanation" from the Knights with regards to the deal after saying no third party agreement had been lodged as the NRL salary cap requires.

Brumbies boss Andrew Fagan said he thought that Buderus had Newcastle's blessing but evidently not the NRL's.

The Knights later said in a statement that the final agreement between Buderus and the Brumbies had not been seen by the club and needed to be submitted to and approved by the NRL.

But Newcastle chief executive Matt Gidley did say the club had encouraged Buderus to seek varied work experience.

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, nrl, rugby-league, sport, canberra-2600, act, australia

First posted December 11, 2012 08:03:06

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All Blacks drop Smith for Springboks Test

Updated September 13, 2012 15:26:20

New Zealand half-back Aaron Smith has been benched for disciplinary reasons for Saturday's Test against the Springboks in Dunedin.

The dropping of Smith, the first choice half-back in all six Tests the All Blacks have played in 2012, was the biggest surprise among the four changes for the Rugby Championship match.

Hansen says Smith needs to be disciplined but will not reveal what he had done

"Unfortunately for Aaron Smith we've got a strong focus on recovery and he broke a protocol in that area last week, so that made him ineligible for selection for the first XV," Hansen said.

"There's nothing to elaborate on. He just broke a protocol that's non-negotiable and the consequence is you don't start in the XV if you break it."

Smith's demotion earns a recall for 62-Test veteran Piri Weepu, who produced a stirring performance when he came on for the last quarter of last week's Test against Argentina in Wellington.

The other changes to the All Blacks side which beat the Pumas 21-5 see lock Sam Whitelock, flanker Liam Messam and hooker Andrew Hore promoted to the starting XV.

Among the reserves, Charlie Faumuina keeps out Ben Franks as the back-up prop and Tamati Ellison takes over from Ben Smith in the back utility role.

New Zealand squad:

Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea, Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (captain), Liam Messam, Sam Whitelock, Luke Romano, Owen Franks, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock

Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Charlie Faumuina, Brodie Retallick, Victor Vito, Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Tamati Ellison

AFP

Tags: rugby-union, sport, new-zealand, argentina

First posted September 13, 2012 06:52:01

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Canes' Smith breaks Blues' hearts

Updated March 23, 2012 21:25:28

A last-minute try to captain Conrad Smith and some ice-cool kicking from five-eighth Beauden Barrett gave the Hurricanes a hard-earned 26-25 Super Rugby win over the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.

It looked like the boot of Blues full-back Lachie Munro and a dominant Auckland scrum would prove too much for the Hurricanes, who conceded far too many second half penalties and appeared to have thrown the game away after an excellent free-running first half.

Munro punished the mistakes, missing just one kick all night in slotting six penalties and a conversion to push the Blues out to a 25-19 lead with less than a minute remaining.

But the Hurricanes kept running, and Barrett sliced through the midfield as the final seconds ticked away, off-loading for skipper Conrad Smith to touch down close to the posts.

Barrett calmly added the extras, and the new-look Hurricanes picked up their third win from five matches.

"They did really well out to shut us out and nine times out of 10 they would have ended it," Smith said in a post-match interview.

"We've got weaknesses, we're the first to admit it (but) we're patient and we wait for opportunities."

They started slowly but finished the first half with a 19-16 lead, jolted into action after conceding a try to ex-Hurricane and All Blacks midfielder Ma'a Nonu after 15 minutes.

Nonu was unstoppable from five metres out after a strong bullocking run from former Hurricanes half-back Piri Weepu, running the Blues backline from five-eighth.

Two minutes later, Hurricanes wing Julian Savea carved up the midfield before slipping a beautifully timed pass for full-back Andre Taylor to cross.

Wing Cory Jane added the Hurricanes' second after Munro bumbled Taylor's searching kick ahead.

The full-back chased hard, forced the turnover then Jane showed good strength to fend off Weepu and score in the corner.

Smith stole the half-time lead for the Hurricanes when he crossed in the dying seconds of the first half after toeing ahead a sly Tim Bateman through-kick.

The Blues maintained their composure in the second stanza, aided by Weepu's shift to scrum half in place of Alby Mathewson and the return of Michael Hobbs to first fly half, but slipped up with a heart-breaking defensive lapse right on the final whistle.

"We're devastated, we're just making a habit of losing," Blues skipper Daniel Braid said.

"A lot of effort's going in from the boys, we're trying hard but we're just lacking composure."

Hurricanes: 26 (C Smith 2, C Jane, A Taylor tries; B Barrett 3/4 conversions)

Blues: 25 (M Nonu try; L Munro 1/1 conversions, 6/7 penalty goals)

AAP/wires

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand

First posted March 23, 2012 19:18:53

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Interview: David Smith

Published:Saturday, June 18, 2011 2:23 AESTExpires:Friday, September 16, 2011 2:23 AEST

Force winger David Smith told Grandstand's Phillip Pope that his side wanted to finish its season strongly and managed to do so with a win over the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday night.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia

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Smith quits Toulon for Japan

Updated April 24, 2011 08:56:00

Australian international flanker George Smith will quit French Top 14 side Toulon to take up a $1.1 million-a-season deal with Japan's Sanyo Wild Knights.

"Smith decided to leave for Japan and we can't keep him. Everyone will remember his time here. He has been an exceptional player at all levels," said Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal.

Toulon had offered 30-year-old Smith a contract extension but the Tokyo side's staggering offer proved too good to resist.

Smith joined the French side last summer after 10 years with Australian Super 15 side Brumbies.

- AFP

First posted April 24, 2011 08:55:00

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Smith heads for the tryline

 Published:Sunday, April 17, 2011 6:22 AEST

Force winger David Smith heads for the tryline in his team's 27-19 win over the Brumbies at Canberra Stadium on April 17, 2011.

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Smith leaves the Rebels for dead

 Published:Friday, April 15, 2011 11:42 AEST

Ben Smith of the Highlanders makes a break during the round nine Super Rugby match between the Melbourne Rebels and the Highlanders at AAMI Park on April 15, 2011 in Melbourne.

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