Smith prepared for his Samson moment

Conrad Smith scores a try for Wellington during their quarter-final victory over Canterbury at Westpac Stadium. Marty Melville / Getty Images

One of Conrad Smith's first bits of business on Monday will be a trip to the barber. Since his days at Old Boys University in Wellington club rugby, Smith has stuck to a ritual, which has become a superstition - and which has done his career no harm: he doesn't darken the hairdresser's door during the season.

"It was back in the uni days," he said. "I cut my hair and started playing rubbish. I got abuse for doing it and was told never to do it again."

Monday, win or lose, off come the locks and that may be a precursor to packing his bags for the All Blacks' trip to Britain and France next week.

That's a far cry from how things were looking a few months ago, as Smith contemplated a badly broken leg playing for the Hurricanes against the Force on his home patch, New Plymouth, in February.

Smith had settled into the All Black environment late last year. He was in the final team of 2005 for the win over Scotland in Edinburgh, his sixth test appearance.

When he made the national team, he scored a try on debut with his first touch, against Italy in November 2004.

He was a breath of fresh air at centre, with his classy touches and silky running, a counterpoint to the bash brigade who tend to dominate these days.

Since making his way back for Wellington, tentatively at first, in the Air New Zealand Cup, he had progressed to the point of being a key figure again as his team found their mojo after some ordinary performances, and they go into tomorrow night's final against Waikato in prime form. Smith returned for the game against North Harbour on August 20, round four of the cup.

His confidence has steadily returned.

Pairing up with bruising Tana Umaga in midfield, pushing Ma'a Nonu out to the wing, he has been an integral part in Wellington's late season surge past Canterbury (twice) and Auckland in last week's final.

"It was tough," the 24-year-old lawyer said of his layoff. I'd never want to do it again, but you work through it.

"The first few games back were particularly tough knowing it wasn't quite back where I wanted to be."

Patience, the doctors said. It didn't come easily, the patient said.

Smith reckons it was not until the final playoff game against Otago on September 29 that "it actually felt right".

"It's still not 100 per cent, but it's certainly a lot better and I'm pretty comfortable with it, which is pretty amazing considering it is the same year I'd broken it."

Here's no surprise: Smith found it tough watching both the Hurricanes and the All Blacks this year.

The Hurricanes had a fine Super 14 campaign, reaching the final, the fogged-in climax against the Crusaders at Jade Stadium.

"I was supporting them, but hating the fact I wasn't part of it. With the All Blacks it was the same.

"It's just one of those things you have to go through. It was not a nice time, but it makes you appreciate it a little more when you're back on the field."

Smith admitted he's a tough marker on himself and wonders if that hindered his return, if not physically then in mental terms.

"Although I wasn't expecting to be back to normal, I still expected to play well. I wasn't playing badly, but I wasn't moving as freely as I would like.

"Now I'm pretty happy with the way the body is. I've got a few more skills to hone but I could safely say I'm back to somewhere near where I was before the injury happened."

Smith's All Black ambitions have changed during the year. His long-term aim was next month's tour, then he realised he might be biting off more than he could chew.

So he switched to a game-by-game focus, "trying to get through 80 minutes and handling the games a bit better. It's been good since I took that pressure off myself".

Smith reckons there has been a confident thread running through the Wellington squad, even when they were scratching along against the likes of Bay of Plenty and Manawatu.

"We knew with the nature of this competition if you play three good games at the end of the year you can end up with the title.

"We were always aware we had a good performance left in us and we got a lot of confidence when we finally got it right against Canterbury and saw no reason why we can't keep playing that way."

Canterbury were defeated in the final moment in the Top Six stage.

After being well beaten by Waikato, then beating Otago, Wellington have really kicked on.

They belted Canterbury in the quarter-final, and saw off Auckland in impressive fashion at Eden Park.

One game to go - but after the year he's had, if Smith's name is read out for more international duty on Sunday morning, a Wellington hairdresser will have a happy customer on Monday.