The future’s bright, says Smith

NEW ZEALAND centre Conrad Smith believes New Zealand are putting the foundations in place for their latest tilt at ending their recent World Cup hoodoo.

The All Blacks retained with the Bledisloe Cup thanks to a 20-10 victory over Australia in Christchurch on Saturday, their 13th Test win in a row, moving them to within a solitary point of a 10th Tri Nations title.

While New Zealand’s opening three wins in the competition had been based around a fluid high-tempo attacking game, this success owed much to a tremendous defensive display which saw the Wallabies stymied despite enjoying the greater share of possession at AMI Stadium.

And Wellington three-quarter Smith believes the qualities shown yesterday can stand his side in good stead as they look to end a 24-year wait for a World Cup win on home soil in 2011.

“If we could keep that going into next year, it’s pretty powerful,” he said. “We had to work pretty hard to come away with a good win and lock that cup away is a nice feeling. Apart from the one try, which was really against the run of play, we defended well.”

Meanwhile, Matt Giteau’s Test place is under scrutiny once more as Robbie Deans welcomes back Quade Cooper from suspension in South Africa. As Deans looks to find a mix that can do the business and finally bring home more than just marginal improvements and major frustrations, cutting Giteau is an option being widely mooted by the Australian press. The emergence of Anthony Faingaa on Saturday as a viable number 12 option now clouds the issue further, with Deans now ready to ponder an all-Queensland 9-10-12 axis of Genia, Cooper and Faingaa.

“Clearly we’ve got choice now, which is great,” Deans said yesterday.

“They’re all helping each other, all working hard now to ensure we have a squad that regardless of who is called on, we’ll be good to go. ”

Meanwhile, Frans Steyn has been recalled to the South Africa squad for the remainder of the Tri Nations.

Coach Peter de Villiers named a 29-man training squad on Sunday to attend a four-day camp in Johannesburg next week. The Boks start their three-match home run with a historic Test against New Zealand in Soweto on August 21. Other players who have been recalled are the two Cheetahs flankers Juan Smith and Heinrich Brüssow, Sharks wing JP Pietersen and Sharks hooker Bismarck du Plessis, but Andries Bekker and Ruan Pienaar are unavailable due to injury.