The coaching team got pretty much what they expected and didn't bring Ben Smith in with the expectation of him being an instant success. Photo / Christine Cornege
Project Ben Smith, in the best traditions of major initiatives, may take longer to complete than initial forecasts. His conversion to centre, perhaps inevitably, began by throwing up more questions than answers.
No one should be overly surprised. The difficulty of his task is considerable - made all the harder
by the excellence of the Wallabies in attacking Smith's channel.
Tevita Kuridrani was a constant menace and Israel Folau was injected to good effect. It was a baptism of fire for Smith in terms of his defensive chores. The runners came inside and out, they twisted him, turned him and left him scrambling at times.
His difficulties got more severe as fatigue set in. He tended to drift laterally when he was tired making himself vulnerable to runners tracking back on the inside.
He held on, though. Managed to check himself when his instincts took him in the wrong direction. He clutched and scragged and the dam never broke.
