All Blacks player Ben Smith wants to do his best in season opener against Fiji - Rugby News
All Blacks player, Ben Smith, is motivated to display a much improved performance for his team if he gets an opportunity to play against Fiji on July 22, in Dunedin. Smith has been named to the All Blacks squad that will play in the fund raising test for
the earthquake-struck people of Christchurch. He told the media on July 19 that if he is included in the All Black playing 15, will not repeat the same errors he committed against Italy and Barbarians in the first two matches of his International career.
Ben Smith, who plays for Highlanders in the Super Rugby format, made his International debut in 2009 against Italy, in San Siro. The 25-years-old player remained unimpressive in his very first match as let many opportunities to score slip away in the match.
The crowd of 81,000 was too much for him and he failed to cope with the pressure of his debut game. However, Smith has a much better record in Super Rugby competitions for the Highlanders as he has earned 40 points for his team in 42 outgoings.
Talking to the media, Smith claimed that he has improved his skills with the passage of time and could contribute better efforts for his side. He admitted the fact that two years before, when he made his international debut, he played a rusty game.
Smith further said that, “I learnt a lot from that tour... a lot about playing at that level. I learnt that at the end of the day, it's just another game of rugby and you've just got to play your own game and get stuck in and do whatever you can to contribute
to the team.”
The wing further stated that, “I've moved forward from a couple of years ago. I sat down and took a good look at my game and went from there. I went through the process of where I want to be and how I was going to get there.”
All Blacks will take on the Pacific nation team on July 22 in Dunedin before heading into the Tri-Nations Cup on July 23.
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