Aaron Smith changed the theory of the way the halfback should modernize the game: Professor, Sir Wayne Smith, doesn’t mince words when reflecting on Aaron Smith’s influence on the upcoming TV series.
Smith’s impact both domestically and internationally was later discussed by former All Black halfback Justin Marshall, who added further context to how Smith paved the way for today’s No.9 and the game in general.
Sir Wayne Smith even named the halfback the best player in the world two years ago, surpassing his French counterpart Antoine Dupont in the Kiwi’s rankings.
“The best I can say about Aaron, about two years ago they made a list of current players, the 50 best in the world. I put Aaron Smith at number one. As the most effective, game-changing, best player in the world at that time,” he said in the upcoming All Blacks Game Changer series.
Everyone else was putting Antoine DuPont down as number one. He got a few in Toulouse but how many major titles did he win with France?
“Aaron Smith won them all.”
It was a bold call given that DuPont was awarded World Rugby Player of the Year at the time and that France had won the Six Nations two years earlier.
Aaron Smith changed the theory of the way the halfback should modernize the game
The difference between team success and individual success is not addressed in the preview clip but follows Justin Marshall, who certainly boasts a considerable amount of knowledge about the halfback position. Aaron Smith changed the theory of the way the halfback should modernize the game.
“I think Aaron Smith changed the game and changed the theory of how to modernize the halfback game,” Martial responded to The Breakdown.
“There was a time when I was involved where the game was pretty slow around the breakdown, where the five-second rule wasn’t in play and you had to be a lot more creative. You can do it with your own physicality or build and build the ball and still do it quickly. “The five-second rule is perfect for Aaron Smith and the type of player he was. Enter and clearance have speed, vision, speed. Aaron Smith changed the theory of the way the halfback should modernize the game.
“The game needed someone like him to say ‘this is how we’re going to pace the game and this is how we’re going to do it’. I don’t think anyone in the modern day has replicated what he brought. To that jersey.”
Aaron Smith changed the theory of the way the halfback should modernize the game.