Stormers lock Adre Smith says his aspirations to reach the Springbok squad is fuelling his fire in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship
Smith – who will make his 50th appearance for the Cape side should he be selected against the Ospreys – got a rare start in the season-opener against Leinster on Friday, and was prominent in the lineouts and a strong ball-carrier in open play.
Smith returned to the Stormers after missing the latter half of the URC last season due to a sabbatical in Japan, where he played for Toyota Verblitz.
Now that he’s back, he’s determined to have a strong season as a regular starter to increase his chances of reaching higher honours.
Being away in Japan just made me realise I need to work harder when I get back. I’ve got no problems making an impact from the bench, but it’s also important for me to get more regular starts. If I don’t start, I won’t get to where I want to be.
For me, the green and gold is a goal I’m aiming for and working towards, but if I’m stuck on the bench I won’t get there.”
The 28-year-old says he’s come back as a more complete player and credits his time in Japan and the coaches he was exposed to, as playing a big role.
“It was initially quite an adjustment, with most of the calls being in Japanese,” Smith recalls. “But the coaches there taught me a very valuable lesson. They said South Africans are by nature physical, so I don’t have to spend extra time working on being physical.
“I need to learn the more non-physical stuff which I can add to my physicality. They taught me how to use my body, how to use space and because of that I got so many more linebreaks in the few games I played up there.”
