KEY POINTS:
LYON - There is a serenity about Conrad Smith which is remarkable after the year he has endured.
It is a still a few days out from the first test against France in Lyon, time enough for the anxiety levels to rise, but at this juncture the poise he shows on the field is reflected in his demeanour away from the action.
This is not a time for him to be thinking about others chasing the All Blacks centre role vacated by Tana Umaga, not a point in his comeback to be making comparisons with Ma'a Nonu or Mils Muliaina or others.
"I have tried to shut that out because you can easily over-complicate this game," he said.
"I don't need to think about all the what-ifs and how long I have been waiting for it, I have just got to concentrate on enjoying the game."
The ultimate decisions, the World Cup choices, were the domain of the coaching staff. Smith's role was to use his talents and play what the French offered tomorrow.
A year ago, Smith got through a couple of tests against Wales and Scotland on the end-of-year tour and, with Umaga's exit, firmed as probable replacement at centre.
He was not as robust as Umaga, not as imposing in defence and may have lacked a metre in pace but his play was accurate, his decisions sharp, he was cool under pressure.
The Super 14 would be another campaign to assess his attributes.
That thinking came to an unpleasant halt in New Plymouth where the 25-year-old broke his right leg, with the prognosis it would be six months before he could play again.
"There were a lot of times when you thought that was not possible but I recovered and then Wellington started to play well and I was able to get in there and play a few more games," he said.
Smith's return and performance in the playoffs convinced the All Blacks he was ready to take away on tour again with his initial task to line up against the French in an alternate midfield combination outside Luke McAlister.
Two years ago Smith played just his second test against France at Paris when the All Blacks humiliated their foes 45-6. He feels much more at ease contemplating his seventh international tomorrow.
"It was all new then and it blew me away all the hype surrounding the game to be honest. I have not played a lot in between but I feel more experienced and hopefully I can handle the pre-match hype better as it is going to be a similar game in terms of passion."
This is another Armistice Day test between the nations where the French will bring a boiling fervour to their play. Two years ago the All Black pack destroyed that ardour and Smith agreed he had not had to endure the manic passion France could engender.
But he had seen it watching the World Cup semifinal in 1999 and twice in New Zealand in 1994 when they sliced up the All Blacks.
Smith said he had also seen footage this week of how lethal France could be during the latest Six Nations and how they beat the Springboks in South Africa.
His vision had been trained on the deeds of Florian Fritz and Yannick Jauzion - the French midfield combination tomorrow. They appeared to be out of the same mould as their classic predecessors, flamboyant attackers who could cut defences open or set up their outsides. The footage reinforced the defensive care he and McAlister had to bring to this test.
He said they had been given the word a little while back they would be in tandem in Lyon and they had used their time to understand the nuances of each other's play, on what they expected in contact and defence.
Smith said his leg was still not "entirely great" but the pain had reduced.
"It is not an easy thing to come back from and I had been warned about that. The doctors were really good telling me what I had to go through and having Jerry [Collins] who had gone through the same thing, he was telling me what it would be like."
Smith still has some metal in his leg which will be removed at some stage, and he used his rehabilitation to gain his admittance to the bar. He also worked each week for his law firm during the national championship and those experiences helped him keep his rugby career in perspective.
All Blacks v France
Lyon, 9am tomorrow
All Blacks
Leon MacDonald, Joe Rokocoko, Conrad Smith, Luke McAlister, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Daniel Carter, Piri Weepu, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw (c), Jerry Collins, Ali Williams, James Ryan, Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Jason Eaton, Chris Masoe, Byron Kelleher, Ma'a Nonu, Mils Muliaina.
France
J. Laharrague, A. Rougerie, Yannick Jauzion, Florian Fritz, C. Dominici, Damien Traille, Dimitri Yachvili, Elvis Vermeulen, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir, Pascal Pape, Fabien Pelous (c), Pieter de Villiers, Dimitri Szarzewski, S. Marconnet
Reserves: Raphael Ibanez, Olivier Milloud, Lionel Nallet, Remy Martin, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, David Marty, Cedric Heymans.
