Smith ready to embrace new challenge

English Premiership: John O'Sullivan talks to the new Director of Rugby at London Irish, Brian Smith.

Brian Smith hasn't changed. His hair is darker than the white-blond of his playing pomp, but he retains the spare, toned physique of an athlete younger than his 38 years. Sitting in his office at Sunbury he's attending to the daily minutiae of his recently acquired position as Director of Rugby at London Irish.

It's 14 years since he left Ireland after playing a Five Nations Championship match against Scotland at Murrayfield. Six days later in Australia he'd make his debut for the New South Wales rugby league club, the Balmain Tigers.

The primary reason for his decision to quit Ireland can be traced to Alan Jones' door. The former Grand Slam Wallaby coach had taken over at the Tigers. The pair enjoyed a mentor and protégé rapport since the time Jones handed Smith his debut for Australia.

Jones facilitated Smith's scholarship to Oxford University in 1988, was reputed to have coached the Dark Blues the following season by fax from Australia - Smith was captain - before coming over for the final week prior to the Varsity match against Cambridge, a game a highly-touted Oxford lost.

So when Jones came calling from Balmain, Smith took notice. "He did have a pretty big influence. I felt that when I played my best rugby, it was under his influence. His first rugby league job had started off badly and a key player in that team was injured.

"He thought he needed me to go back and help out. Certainly had he not said that it was quite important from his perspective that the timing be now, I would not have gone. It was a pretty massive decision, the biggest I ever had to make. They really put the acid on me to come at that point.

"I had sleepless nights over it. My girlfriend at the time was Irish. Brendan Mullin was the only guy who was aware of what I was going through. It was bloody tough. Sometimes I regret the decision (I made) and on other occasions I look on it as a part of life.

"Ideally, I would have liked to stay (with Ireland). The other opportunity may or may not have been there in time. Sometimes there are conflicts and you have to choose one thing. I have always been very loyal to people who have been loyal to me. I knew the loyalty card would have been played."

It's important to put into context the ramifications of Smith's decision and rewind the story about three years to 1988. A 21-year-old Smith, who had won six caps for Australia, including scoring a try when coming on as a replacement against Ireland in the 1987 World Cup quarter-final, fell out with Bob Dwyer, Jones' successor as Wallaby coach.

Having finished university in Australia, Smith decided to bookend his rugby union career with a year- long stint at Oxford University before moving to rugby league.

"I grew up playing both codes. My father was always at me to go and play (league). Before I went to Oxford I was going to sign with the Brisbane Broncos. Going to Oxford was almost like one last rugby journey before I came back and played league."

Smith, who sold his car and plundered his savings to decamp to London, flourished on and off the pitch. Oxford prevailed upon him to stay for another two years. He acquiesced, transferring his diploma and credits from home and enrolling in a two-year Masters course in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).

During that period Ireland came calling through the then national coach Jimmy Davidson.

"I was aware of his (Smith's) qualifications (a maternal grandmother from Wexford) and was friendly with Alan Jones. I called Brian before the Varsity match to check out how he'd feel about playing for Ireland.

"I still have the audio tape of the conversation. I told him I didn't want any carpetbaggers. He was an outstanding player of whom I couldn't speak highly enough. He was a superb athlete, great ball player with vision and a fine understanding of the game that was more advanced that his peers'. He was professional in his attitude and commitment long before the game embraced professionalism."

The traditionalists in Ireland abhorred the thought of what they perceived to be an interloper being handed a green jersey. A large tranche of the daily national media supported that assertion; one or two of the Sunday journalists argued Smith's case. There was little recognition of what an outstanding player he proved to be during his nine caps culminating in the Five Nations campaign of the 1990-91 season when Ireland scored 10 tries with Smith in the pivot of outhalf, a tally they'd barely broach normally in two seasons.

The 24-year-old tried to develop a thick skin, but the flak occasionally found its mark. He recalled turning to the press box after dropping a goal against Wales and making a gesture to a former international about eating his words.

To compound matters he was a central figure in a stand-off at Oxford that eventually culminated in him not playing for the university during his third year. He backed his fellow Aussie, Troy Coker, for the captaincy in 1990, but the latter lost out to Irishman Mark Egan, allegedly by a single vote. Egan tried to smooth over the split in the camp but neither Smith nor Coker would swear fealty to the university preferring instead to give their priority to Leicester and Leinster (Smith) and Harlequins (Coker) first.

Egan took a very brave decision to drop both from the squad, a decision that was rewarded when Oxford, as massive underdogs, beat Cambridge that year. There is no rancour arising from the situation, time perhaps mellowing attitudes.

Egan pointed out: "We didn't have a row as such," before latter adding "I had great admiration for Brian as a player. He was a wonderful athlete and a superb rugby player."

Smith also put the spat into context and concedes: "Things don't always go right when you're young and the ego gets involved."

Ciarán Fitzgerald succeeded Davidson as coach; Smith had an excellent Five Nations in 1991, but when Jones came calling he reappraised his situation.

"All of a sudden I am getting very mixed messages. My course finished six months before the end of the World Cup. I didn't know where I stood. I sensed in Irish rugby there were power plays going on behind the scenes with coaches changing.

"I came to England ostensibly for only 12 months (and it) turned into three years by chance. Opportunities opened up; it was fantastic.

"I completely understand why to this day I could be vilified in pubs, why at the time I might have got a bit of stick being someone coming in from the outside. It was irregular, in fact, it was the first time that anyone had done that in Ireland.

"It (the decision to go back) doesn't sit well with me. In many respects I had a moral obligation to those people who first introduced me to Irish rugby; Tom Kiernan, Tony Toomey and those guys who welcomed me.

"I also understand that no one is too interested in my story because I wasn't too keen to talk to anyone when I went back (to Australia). I was getting phone calls trying to chase me up. I ignored all of them. As a result, I think I got pasted and an extension of that is someone claimed that I had been actively seeking out or trying to talk to Scotland, which is rubbish. I just put my head down and tried to deliver in rugby league. Maybe in hindsight that was a mistake."

It was only when Smith had gone that there was a belated recognition of his ability. Injury deprived him of the probability of becoming a dual international, adding the Australian league jumper to his union tests.

His union coaching career took in Eastern Suburbs (unbeaten year), Australia Sevens, NSW Under-21s, ACT Brumbies (assistant to David Nucifora), Bath (co-coach with Michael Foley) and finally Riccoh (Japan) before joining London Irish in April. Away from the paddock he put his Masters in PPE to good use when working for the John Fingleton advertising agency, a firm that orchestrated the politicalcampaigns for the Australian Labour party.

His priority now is London Irish. "The Irish tie, it might sound bizarre, seemed natural and good. A lot of time has passed and I've been made feel welcome. The most important thing would be to develop a successful rugby programme. If it all goes to pot I'd have to go and get a real job."

He's watched last season's video nasties and the sterile dross that the team produced. He's recruited extensively and says he'll empower his players to take risks.

Any debt Smith owed Irish rugby was paid in full during his time in the green jersey. Grab a video and have a look. The manner of his departure may rankle with Smith himself and with Irish rugby fans. But now it's about Brian Smith the coach: no baggage, just a clean slate and a new beginning.