New Zealand Rugby
Smith calls for focus on upcoming Tests
ESPN Staff
November 3, 2012
New Zealand scrum-half Aaron Smith tries to offload despite the attentions of the South Africa defence, South Africa v New Zealand, Rugby Championship, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 6, 2012.
Aaron Smith is on his first northern hemisphere tour with the All Blacks © Getty Images
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New Zealand scrum-half Aaron Smith has said that now the team are in Scotland they must forget their most recent result, the 18-18 draw with Australia that ended their hopes of equalling the record for consecutive Test-wins.

The result was a disappointing end to an otherwise perfect run in the inaugural Rugby Championship in which they added the title to their world crown and retained the Bledisloe Cup. Steve Hansen's side were unable to breech the Wallabies defence and relied on Dan Carter's boot for their points. Now Smith says that their minds must be focused on the matches against Scotland, Italy, Wales and England on their tour of the northern hemisphere so as to give themselves the chance to finish the year unbeaten.

"If you want to dwell on it you can, if that's what you want to take from it, but all the boys are taking it on the chin and knowing what we've got to do and go from there," Smith said on arrival in Edinburgh. "We have an exciting four weeks ahead."

Smith is one of the new faces to have established themselves in the All Blacks team following their World Cup triumph on home soil just over a year ago. He made his debut in New Zealand's first Test of the year against Ireland in Auckland and he has held off the challenge of the World Cup hero Piri Weepu to establish himself as Hansen's first choice in the number 9 jersey.

The tour is the first time that he has been away with the senior All Blacks side and he knows that they must adapt to their new surroundings quickly if they are to be successful.

"We are coming off games that were pretty warm in Argy [Argentina] and Africa," he said. "It's going to be pretty different going from games that were 18 degrees in Auckland to eight degrees here. All these subtle little changes, but we got here early so we have a few days to acclimatise."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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