WELLINGTON: Wayne Smith, who was part of the coaching team that guided New Zealand to their World Cup win in 2011, will return to Steve Hansen’s staff next year to help prepare the All Blacks for their title defence in England.
Smith, 57, will take the role of defence coach and work with Ian Foster, forwards coach Mike Cron and skills coach Mick Byrne under head coach Hansen, who took over from Graham Henry after the 2011 triumph on home soil.
“He is one of the most astute rugby coaches in world rugby and having worked with him in the past, we know just how valuable he is to any team he is involved in,” Hansen said in a team’s news release.
“‘Smithy’ will add another dimension to what is already a strong coaching group in what will be a big year for us. We look forward to welcoming him back into the fold.
Smith, who was All Blacks head coach for 17 tests in 2000-2001, will stand down from his position as assistant coach with the Waikato Chiefs, who he helped to back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013.
“I care deeply about the All Blacks, I’m excited to be back and looking forward to getting stuck into next year,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ireland international forward Devin Toner has agreed a new two-year contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and will stay at Leinster until at least June 2017.
The 28-year-old lock made his Test debut against Samoa in 2010 and to date he has won 20 caps for his country, the last coming in the 26-23 victory over Australia in November.
IRFU performance director David Nucifora said: “Devin has developed into an international level second-row over the last few seasons.
“He has performed consistently at a high level for both Ireland and Leinster, and is illustrating strong leadership skills in both the provincial and national environments.”
Toner added: “It is great to have signed on for another two years with Leinster.
“I have been with the province for almost a decade and during that time the club have invested a lot in my development and have given me the platform to reach my potential and achieve success at both provincial and national level.”AFP
