Smith wants Blacks back.

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NEW ZEALAND assistant coach Wayne Smith has urged the country's rugby union to try and put a stop to the growing number of players being lured overseas with lucrative European deals. Star fly-half Dan Carter and his All Black understudy Nick Evans are just the latest big names to be linked with moves to the northern hemisphere, following nine starters from last year's World Cup team, who have already made big-money moves.

But, while hoping New Zealand's best players stay at home to play their rugby, Smith also wants the NZRU to implement new initiatives to end the policy which sees players who play overseas effectively banned from international representation. "I think we need to ask what do we want the All Blacks to be? Longer-term, do we want them to be an iconic team?" said Smith.

"I don't want to dramatise things but I'm not sure this country understands how big this issue is and how complex it is. The players are being offered huge amounts of money to go overseas where they will be able to spend more time with their families and gain that overseas experience which is very different.

"We have to find strategies to help them to do what they love. We are continuously working on solutions and a lot of the feedback we have had has been really positive." Meanwhile, Wales captain Ryan Jones is the outstanding candidate to lead the British Lions on their tour of South Africa next year, according to his club coach Lyn Jones.

The Welsh skipper led the Ospreys to a 23-6 victory over Leicester in the EDF Energy Cup final at Twickenham on Saturday. And his coach said: "Ryan certainly won't go missing in South Africa next year, I can tell you that. "For me, Ryan is already Lions captain for next year."

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