Asked what head space Smith would be in before he starts on Saturday night, coach Steve Hansen was confident his halfback would be ready to perform. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has backed Aaron Smith to be at his best on Saturday night, despite the halfback's sex scandal erupting once again. "Obviously the incident happened last year," Hansen said. Asked what head space Smith would be in before he starts on Saturday night, Hansen was confident his halfback would be ready to perform. Hansen confirmed there was no discussion about removing Smith from the starting lineup and he had no concern it would affect the team's performance.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 17, 2017 03:45 UTC