He is equally as good on the right wing as he is at fullback, and Ben Smith's ability to play in the midfield allows the All Blacks to juggle their options on the reserves bench as well.
For coach Steve Hansen, the 28-year-old Highlander is rapidly becoming one of hismost important backs, for his reliability, counter-attacking skill and versatility - a rare combination.
Smith's flexibility means instead of selecting midfielder Malakai Fekitoa on the bench, as they did last week, the All Black coaches have picked outside back Cory Jane alongside halfback TJ Perenara and first-five/fullback Beauden Barrett, a nod to not only the expected kicking tactics from the Springboks, but also to a hunch the test is likely to open up in the second half.
"We wanted an extra back three player," Hansen said of Jane's selection. "All things going well we probably wouldn't sub Ma'a [Nonu] or Conrad [Smith] anyway. It just gives us a little more versatility in that back three so we can shuffle things around if we need to."
Jane, who is excellent under the high ball, will add a different dimension to the back three attack if he gets an opportunity, and back on his home ground, few would bet against him taking it.
The rapid rise of Fekitoa and steady improvement of Ryan Crotty gives the All Blacks two ready-made replacements for Conrad Smith and or Nonu. Sonny Bill Williams will also force himself into the frame sooner rather than later and probably on the end of year tour.
Those three mean Ben Smith won't find himself starting in the midfield again in the foreseeable future - a move which produced mixed results last year as Conrad Smith took a break from the game.
