Rugby: Smith bags halfback spot for Maori

There was more than one Aaron from Manawatu bolting his way to higher honours yesterday.

While Aaron Cruden has pinched most of the headlines, the little-known Aaron Smith has grabbed one of the halfback spots in the Maori squad to face England and Ireland in June.

The Blues Wider Training Group member's selection owes much to the All Blacks deciding they needed goalkicking cover for Dan Carter in the form of Piri Weepu, a man touted by some as a potential Maori captain.

"I'd had a call to say I was in with a chance, but I tried not to think about it too much," Smith said. "I haven't got the Rugby Channel so I wasn't thinking about it. I got a text from my mate saying 'congrats'. I still didn't fully believe it, even when i was getting bombarded by texts, so I rang my parents to make sure it was real."

Smith, who played in the Feilding High School first XV alongside the Whitelock brothers, is nothing if not a realist.

"I was thinking I had half a chance because there's a only a few Maori halfbacks out there," he said. "It came down to what happened with Piri. I thought if he made it I'd have a shot."

Halfbacks might be thin on the ground but coach Jamie Joseph had richer pickings at hooker and loose forward.

The most prominent absentee is former All Black Hika Elliot, who could not nudge his way past Corey Flynn or Hurricanes' back-up Dane Coles. Karl Lowe was preferred to Scott Waldrom.

Asked where the strengths of his squad lay, Joseph said: "Versatility. We've got a lot of experience, Super 14 players, we've got ex-All Blacks among us and just the special year it is for Maori rugby is going to be a huge challenge for the players and I'm sure everyone is looking forward to that.

"We don't have a lot of time to prepare the team from a technical point of view, but the uniqueness of the team and the fact the guys really enjoy playing for the Maori side, hopefully will be enough to get us over the line."

The Maori play the Barbarians in Whangarei on Saturday week, before two "tests" against Ireland at Rotorua and England at Napier.

Joseph expects the Northern Hemisphere sides to base their game around the set piece, an area he believes his side will "be able to hold our own". His side will be looking to play with flair without sacrificing an opportunity to win.

"It's about Maori rugby, it's about celebrating, but at the end of the day they're playing for All Black places," he said.

Luke McAlister falls into that category after missing out on Graham Henry's squad, with rookie Benson Stanley and the injured Richard Kahui preferred at second five-eighth.

Robbie Robinson will get an opportunity to impress at fullback.

MAORI SQUAD

Ben Afeaki, Colin Bourke, Stephen Brett, Dane Coles, Jacob Ellison, Corey Flynn, Hosea Gear, Romana Graham, Jarrad Hoeata, Tanerau Latimer, Karl Lowe, Sean Maitland, Luke McAlister, Liam Messam (c), Bronson Murray, Clint Newland, Daniel Ramsey, Willie Ripia, Robbie Robinson, Isaac Ross, Aaron Smith, Chris Smylie, Dwayne Sweeney, Andre Taylor, Hayden Triggs, Jackson Willison.