TALK that Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith may lose the All Blacks No9 jersey should be relegated to the realms of fantasy.
Yes, the little livewire has been struggling to show his best form through the early stages of the Super 15 campaign but there is good reason for that.
The plain facts are the Highlanders forwards simply haven't been giving him either the quality of possession or the quality of protection which any halfback requires to shine at the top levels of the game.
It's damn difficult to clear ball quickly or make sniping runs when your forwards are on the back foot and the opposing loosies are virtually in your back pocket.
No rugby pundit worth his salt should need reminding of the hugely positive impact made by Smith through the ABs' busy international campaign last season. Sure, there was the odd game where not everything went according to plan but in any analysis of their season he would have to be rated as one of the ABs' big success stories.