Warming up to Life in Wales

Ryan Smith has been busy with his online shopping since arriving in Wales from Australia.

The former Queensland Reds skipper has settled in well at the Ospreys, but admits the rather different weather conditions have taken some adapting to.

“It’s the first time I have had to buy a boot dryer, so that was interesting!” said the 29-year-old second row.

“Amazon has been my best friend over the last couple of months, making sure I have got all the hand warmers and everything.

“I tend to wait around in the changing room a little bit longer and make sure I’m not the only one without a jacket!

“It’s been cool just to have a different environment. It’s been exciting to be out of my depth and not be afraid to get things wrong the first time. The guys have been really supportive around that sort of stuff. It’s been great.

“The coaches, the players and all the staff have made it a pretty easy transition. It’s been really enjoyable.

“They gave me and my family a few weeks just to settle in and get the lay of the land.”

After a delayed start to his season, Smith made his Ospreys debut in the Vodacom URC draw with Dragons RFC at Rodney Parade in late October.

“It was awesome to finally get out there with the boys,” he said.

“It was a few weeks of injuries and disappointingly getting ruled out at the last minute, so I was stoked to finally be able to get my first cap.

“I really appreciate the coaches and all the players for getting around me and backing me.”

The 6ft 6ins, 18st 6lbs Smith scored his first try for the region in the EPCR Challenge Cup comeback victory over Connacht Rugby and is now looking forward to Saturday’s Vodacom URC clash with Munster Rugby at the Brewery Field.

“We have played some really good footy over the last few weeks,” he said.

“We have got some really tough hard-working guys in the forwards and some really classy backs that can finish off.”

As for what he brings to the party, he says: “I like to always put my hand up for tough carries and to go 80 minutes and work really hard for the boys around me. “I think that’s the biggest sign of respect when the boys next to you know you are never going to shirk your responsibilities, so that’s what I am looking to do – earn their respect and do the best thing by the team.

“It’s high work-rate, high energy, always putting my hands up for a carry or a tough tackle. I think I bring a fair bit of physicality around the defensive stuff as well.”

In terms of what he has made of the Vodacom URC after life in Super Rugby, he says: “I think it’s really exciting to have more than just Australian teams playing New Zealand teams.

“To have South African sides and Italian teams, it’s a really cool exciting brand that the Vodacom URC has got and I’m enjoying being a part of it.

“I am really excited by being over here. I know there’s been other Australian guys that have come to the Vodacom URC and gone really well. It’s been a good step in their career and I’m hoping for the same thing for me.”

Born in the Queensland city of Toowoomba, Smith was schooled in Brisbane and took up rugby in his mid teens with the Caboolture Snakes junior club.

He went on to play for the Brothers and Brisbane City clubs, while also excelling at swimming and track and field, before linking up with Queensland Reds in 2020.

During his five years with the Reds, he made more than 70 appearances and captained the team on a number of occasions. He has also played for Australia A six times and was part of the Wallabies squad on a couple of occasions, although a Test cap has so far eluded him.

“Representing my country would be a massive honour, but there’s no point really thinking about that if you are not performing for your team,” he says.

“So I am just focusing on playing really good footy for the Ospreys and if I do that, I will be happy enough.

“There’s no point going out there and trying to focus on what higher honours I can get. It’s more about fitting into the team and what the Ospreys are trying to do. I am a big believer that the higher honours will come off that.

“It all comes through hard work and buying into what the team over here is doing. You can only get selected for higher honours through good performances for your club team. So that’s pretty much my focus.”