Rugby aficionados will fondly remember Tom Smith’s role on the heralded 1997 Lions tour, as the unknown Scottish prop who eventually ousted his more experienced Welsh and English counterparts, and as the cornerstone of a forward unit who set about dismantling the ferocious aura that surrounded the ogre-like Springboks pack.

Indeed, even though he was already a relatively seasoned player that year, aged 25, Smith has the proud accolade of being the last Lion from that pack to retire, hanging up his boots at the end of the last season at 37-years-old.  He outlasted many famous names, Dallagio, Wood and Johnson amongst them.

Folk living in Scotland’s capital may claim to know different, however.  This summer, the ‘retired’ Smith has been seen on at least two occasions hogging the stand-off position, and prospering, in local exhibition games, since signing up to be Edinburgh Rugby’s new forwards coach.  But many a prop on both sides of the border will be pleased to know that friendly games are his limit.  He will let the players in his charge do his talking in the scrums from now on.

Speaking of talking, with such a decorated and illustrious career behind him, where he played on a second Lions tour in 2001 and in two World Cups for Scotland (1999 and 2003), Smith is not short on requests for him to recount his glory-days.

But as In The Winning Zone found out in an interview just minutes after watching his Edinburgh stars in action for the first time at a pre-season bounce game against his old club, Watsonians, Smith was more keen to talk about the future than his past.
 
Becoming a coach at Edinburgh is a bold move for the quiet man.  After an all-time best finish of second in the Magners League last season, it is much easier to take a step back than it is to move forward for the Murrayfield club.  Add to that the departure of the vaunted-Andy Robinson to the Scotland national side, and suddenly the pressure is really on.

“It’s a tough environment to learn in,” admits Smith.  “But it’s a good environment to learn in as well.  The next few weeks will be massive for us.”

They certainly will.  Season openers don’t come much tougher than a clash with Cardiff in the Welsh capital, where Tom will come up against an old sparring partner in the form of Dai Young, the Blues’ Director of Rugby. 

And the time has come when at least one Scottish team must step-up and deliver the goods on the European front as well.  The Heineken Cup is the Holy Grail for clubs like Edinburgh, but so far they haven’t even been able to read the map beyond the first stage, except for once in 2004, when they made the quarter finals.   Bath, Ulster and Stade Francais isn’t the toughest group the Gunners will ever face, so they will need to start firing on all cylinders. 

But there is an air of optimism in the black and red camp.  Edinburgh is a club very much on the grow, with an expanding fan base and a squad packed with Scottish talent, both young and not so young, two 2009 Lions amongst them (Mike Blair and Ross Ford).  And with a new coach in the form of Rob Moffat, there is much to be excited about.

“Pre-season is mainly for physical work, so we’re just starting to crank up the rugby stuff now.  I haven’t really had much opportunity to see them in action, but the enthusiasm is very apparent from everyone.  There are opportunities for the players now.  There are a few Academy boys out there, and they will want to take their opportunities.

“The experienced players have a lot to give as well, and you have to tap into that.  Some of them have been playing for a long, long time.  They have opinions and views on everything. 

“But you also expect the younger players not to just stand there quietly.  Any opinion is of value, whether it belongs to a first year professional or a ten year veteran.  It’s something all the young players need to work on, developing their confidence and believing in themselves.”

So considering his massive experience at club level, where he spent most of his career playing for two clubs with huge Heineken Cup pedigree in Brive and Northampton, what can he bring to the club in his debut coaching role?

“Well obviously it’s my first job in coaching, so I will find out a lot about myself and my communication skills, because really it’s all about communication and building relationships with players. 

“You learn that things like preparation are so important.  As a player, you can’t just turn up, do your job and go home.  It doesn’t work like that.  It’s got to become a lifestyle.  From the extra work you put in at training to your match-day preparations, all your actions count. 

“It’s what you differently that makes you stand out from the crowd. From the minute you wake, how you treat your body has a massive impact.  You can blow all the good work you’ve done in a week very easily, so you have to work to embellish it.”

The forthcoming season is potentially huge for Scottish rugby.  Sean Lineen’s Glasgow and Smith’s Edinburgh have both bolstered their squads with experienced Scottish internationalists and much is expected of them. 

Moreso still Andy Robinson’s Scotland, and he will be keeping his eye on key test partnerships training, playing and hopefully flourishing together on an almost daily basis at the clubs.  Smith himself will be acutely aware of this, with Scotland internationals available for every position in the Edinburgh forward squad. 

As a player, Tom Smith played to his strengths and wasn’t intimidated by the reputation of others, as he demonstrated time and again.  Playing more than a decade in the front row, he is used to lifting the players around him, both literally and metaphorically.  Can he lift Edinburgh this season to achieve more than ever before?

RO
© Copyright In The Winning Zone, MMIX, All Rights Reserved