Aaron Smith set for epic last hurrah? Ambitious Top 14 club target All Blacks legend to fill Englishman’s void
All Blacks scrum-half Aaron Smith and an inset of Dan Robson.
Aaron Smith has been boldly shortlisted as a top target by an ambitious French Top 14 club, according to reports.
In his prime, the All Blacks great was consistently one of the best scrum-halves in the world and was a crucial cog in New Zealand’s 2015 Rugby World Cup victory.
The 37-year-old is currently plying his trade at Japan Rugby League One side, Toyota Verblitz, under the tutelage of former All Blacks bosses Ian Foster and Sir Steve Hansen.
Top 14 beckons for Aaron Smith
However, it’s understood that his contract with Verblitz expires at the end of the current season, and he has been lined up by French club Pau, who currently sit second on the Top 14 table.
According to Sud Ouest, Smith is being lined up by the side to fill the void of Gloucester-bound half-back Dan Robson. The report states that he perfectly fits the profile they are looking for to partner fly-half Thibault Daubagna and aid the development of young scrum-half Thomas Souverbie.
The rumour has gathered pace with eagle-eyed fans noticing that Smith has started following Pau on Instagram.
Smith earned the last of his 124 Test caps for New Zealand in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against South Africa, retiring from international rugby as the All Blacks’ most-capped scrum-half, becoming the first number nine to reach the 100 appearance mark for the team.
The number nine would not be the first All Black to bring the curtain down on his career at Pau. The likes of Conrad Smith, Colin Slade, and Sam Whitelock all had stints at the side after their Test careers as did Jamie Mackintosh, Peter Saili, Ben Smith, Tom Taylor and Benson Stanley.
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Luke Whitelock continues to ply his trade at the club that also has Los Pumas captain Julian Montoya on their payroll.
Meanwhile, Smith is enduring a tough season with Verblitz, who sit 11th on the overall Japan Rugby League One table, just one spot above Leon MacDonald’s Yokohama Canon Eagles.
Verblitz have lost the services of Springboks star Pieter-Steph du Toit for the remainder of the season and were comprehensively defeated 43-19 by Shizuoka BlueRevs this weekend.
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