Dangermen of the World Cup Rugby: Conrad Smith

Dangermen of the World Cup Rugby: Conrad Smith comes from a family of rugby players. Both his uncle and great-uncle represented the All Blacks, and from a young age, Conrad showed a similar aptitude for the game. By the time he was 23, he too was an All Black.

More than a decade on, Smith has amassed 88 caps and is the bedrock of that dominant backline. Despite this, he’s rarely talked about in the same breath as the wingers on his outside. And yet, pundits almost universally agree that Smith is one of three best centres ever to play the game.

He has scored 26 tries since his debut and is nicknamed snake, such is his ability to sneak through the tackle. Combined with his ability to get over the chalk, he has a remarkable ability to set up a pass. In all his test matches, you can count the number of mistakes Smith has made on one hand. Does he ever have an off game, throw a bad pass, make an ill-timed run? Seemingly never. Smith is the consummate professional and embodies the sort of consistency that has run through the veins of good All Black sides for the past decade.

At the World Cup, Smith will be a crucial cog in the New Zealand wheel, with the experience to think clearly in pressure situations. Importantly, he was a part of the victorious All Blacks side that captured the World Cup trophy in 2011, and understands what it takes as a result.

One of the most underrated players of recent memory, Smith is professionalism personified. Watch out for him at rugby’s showpiece event.