Smith: weekly grind gives you strength

Too much tough rugby? There's no such thing

Being contemptuously dismissive of all sporting things English seems to be a hugely popular pastime with the majority of the southern hemisphere just at the moment. But not with Wayne Smith, former All Black player and coach. Twelve months as coach at Northampton has brought nothing butrespect for the English game.

"It is tough rugby in this country. And good," he says. "Look at the national team. They won the last three internationals with great rugby, and I mean great rugby. They are getting good things out of the players and a lot of that is because of the good, hard rugby they play each week. It was impressive."

Smith is not prone to hyperbole or mollycoddling – "I expect hard work, good attitudes from my players" – so his words can be taken as honest rather than spin. There has been enough of that recently, and not much of it dignified. No. Honesty, however painful, is the Smith way. Not many are likely to describe their own international careers thus: "I was probably not good enough. I don't think I was talented enough and people said I wasn't big enough. But I did it because I had the desire. I worked hard and I wanted it so much. Luck and timing play a little part but I firmly believe you are in control of how far you go. That is why I want my players to do the job themselves and never think to rely on someone else."

And if they do not do that job satisfactorily, they are dropped, regardless of name or reputation. Steve Thompson was the first casualty, dropped during last year's Six Nations tournament. England hooker one weekend, bench fodder at his club the next. Smith's explanation at the time was succinct: "He's not playing well enough."

The players have certainly responded. Matt Dawson, Ben Cohen and Thompson are effusive in their praise of their coach, which considering all three are playing arguably the best rugby of their careers is hardly a surprise.

However, while they and others were absent for internationals and injuries, Saints took only six league points from three games, losing two and beating Harlequins. The first defeat was home against Leicester where the greater strength in depth of the Tigers, particularly in the scrum where Saints were missing their entire front row, of Tom Smith, Thompson and Matt Stewart, told.

"It's going to be a long three weeks," was Smith's initial thought after that game, but the next three will be equally challenging – the historic win over Leicester at fortress Welford Road yesterday is followed by Cardiff home and away in the Heineken Cup.

"New challenges in the Heineken," says Smith. "But it doesn't matter if it is the Premiership, Powergen Cup or the Heineken Cup, they are all hard matches. The challenge of the Heineken is playing against players and teams who you don't normally meet and may not know much about. We have to research them, do our work and think about our own game."

For many the Heineken Cup is a fundamental reason why standards in the northern hemisphere are improving and victories over the Australians and South Africans are more frequent.

"I haven't been around long enough to say," answers Smith, "but it is exciting and the players desperately want to play in the games and do well in it and I think it is the same across all the clubs. Undoubtedly, they are good matches, so maybe it is true. I know last year that our first challenge was to get away from relegation but when that was done, the aim was to qualify for the Heineken. I'm not sure about relegation, though. I think it stifles some of the rugby but it does give an edge and competition to games."

The modernisers would choke at that, and his confusion at having three competitions running alongside each other, but they would rejoice in his underlying sentiment.

"The structure is pretty good and the end product, the important thing, is very good. The reason England did well is the hard games they play week-in, week-out whatever the competition. They have developed resilience and they have been pushed and have improved. Character is so important. I pick players on character. I want hard workers, responsible men who can do the job on their own. Players we bring in are like that. We research them fully and I choose them on attitude and character."

Players such as Andrew Blowers, Mark Connors and Bruce Reihana. Talented and hard working, they demand the best from themselves and others. These are the key issues for Smith and, although those three are from the southern hemisphere, it may be that English players are developing the same ethos. Recent results and Smith's opinions on English rugby certainly suggest so.