When Ben Smith was told at halftime during the All Blacks' 14-10 victory over South Africa in Wellington last night that he would be moving to second-five to cover an injured Ma'a Nonu he barely had time to gather his thoughts.
After starting the game in the No 14 jersey, Smith was summoned to the midfield after Nonu left the contest with a suspected broken arm.
"I suppose you've got to adjust to that role and it's always good having someone like Conrad beside you," Smith said after the game.
"He makes the job a lot easier so I was just making sure I was talking a lot to him and just doing the best job I could."
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen had envisaged that his long-time midfield pairing of Nonu and Conrad Smith would play 80 minutes at Westpac Stadium.
Hansen and his fellow selectors dropped specialist midfield cover Malakai Fekitoa from the squad that beat Argentina last week as they opted for outside back Cory Jane in the reserves.
Ben Smith, 28, has played a number of different roles for the All Blacks from fullback to centre and he had previously filled in at second-five in a test against Argentina.
But that paled in comparison to the intensity of last night's match in the capital that required a resolute defensive effort from the home side during the final stages.
Smith beat nine defenders and made 11 carries in the game to go with a clean break. He was also stable in defence and came up with a couple of crucial tackles.
"He just trusted his instincts out there and I thought he did that really well," All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster said. "His footwork was really good and he's been hugely invaluable for us."
Hansen said after the game he wouldn't start Smith at second-five in a test match given the depth they have with Ryan Crotty and Fekitoa in their ranks but the Highlanders utility does provide adequate cover.
Crotty, who has been out with a fractured cheekbone, is fit again, which is a timely return if Nonu is to be ruled out for any length of time.
- Daniel Richardson of APNZ
