Colin Smart
Birth name | Colin Edward Smart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 5 March 1950 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | The Skinners' School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | Cardiff College of Education | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation(s) | Teacher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Colin Edward Smart (born 5 March 1950) is a former international
Personal life
Smart was educated at
Newport RFC
After starting his playing career captaining Tunbridge Wells RFC,[4] Smart moved to Newport RFC in 1973. He was made captain in 1975, the club's centenary year, only the third time an Englishman had captained the club in its hundred-year history.[5] Newport maintained their challenge for the Welsh Unofficial Championship right up to the end of the 1975–76 season only to lose out to Pontypridd. They also lost narrowly to Australia in January by 13–7. Smart led from the front, playing in 47 of the 49 games.[6]
During the 1976–77 season, Newport won the Cardiff Centenary Sevens beating the Barbarians in the final. Only 2 defeats from 22 matches saw Newport head the Welsh Unofficial Championship, however, with a number of defeats in the second half of the season Newport had to be content with the runners-up position for the second season running. However, on 30 April 1977, Newport defeated rivals Cardiff in their Welsh Cup Final, and Smart lifted the cup at Cardiff Arms Park.[7]
In the 1977–78 season, Smart led Newport to the Welsh Cup Final for the second year running but Newport lost 13–9 to Swansea at Cardiff Arms Park. Smart stepped down as captain after the match.[8]
Smart continued playing for Newport until his retirement from rugby. He played for Newport against the touring All Blacks in 1982,[9] finally stepping down from both international and club rugby at the end of the season in 1983.
International career
Wales or England?
Having previously played for both the Wales Student team, and the
1979 Far East Tour
Following his debut in the
1981 Five Nations Championship
Smart missed out on the England team's victorious 1980
1981 Argentina Tour
With Phil Blakeway and Peter Wheeler unable to travel, Smart resumed his front row partnership with Gary Pearce on the 1981 tour to Argentina, with the rooky Steve Mills at hooker.[19] This front row partnership proved successful as England carried the test series, following a 19:19 draw with a 12:6 win in the deciding match.[18]
1982 Five Nations Championship
Smart started all four games in the 1982 Five Nations Championship with a draw against Scotland, a narrow loss against Ireland, and wins against France and Wales leaving England as runners-up to Ireland. Later in the year Smart also played in the 60:19 win over the Fiji touring side at Twickenham.
"The Aftershave Incident"
Smart is remembered for the infamous "Aftershave Incident" in 1982. While in
1983 Five Nations Championship
As in 1982 Smart played every minute of the Five Nations' matches England participated in, though it ended up being a far less successful Championship than the previous four years. England lost to France, Scotland and Ireland, and only managed a draw against Wales.
References
- ^ a b "Colin Smart". ESPN. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ "Colin Smart". Newport RFC. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ "Rugby hi-jinks floors prop Smart". Cardiff: Western Mail (archived at The Free Library). 23 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ Kent & Sussex Courier (1969-09-19)
- ^ a b The Times Newspaper (1979-02-22)
- ^ "History of Newport 1975-76".
- ^ "History of Newport 1976-77".
- ^ "History of Newport 1977-78".
- ^ "History of Newport 1982-1983".
- ^ The Times Newspaper (1980-02-10)
- ^ The Times Newspaper (1974-11-13)|title=Smart in Welsh Party for Cardiff
- ^ "English players in Wales, Hugo Porta's final bow and inexperienced England squads". ESPN. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ The Times Newspaper (1974-12-17)
- ^ The Times Newspaper (1979-04-03)
- ^ "International Rugby Archive 1979". ESPN.
- ^ The Daily Express (1983-01-12)
- ^ The Times Newspaper (1981-02-03)|title=Smart's opportunity to plug the gap made by the retirement of Cotton
- ^ a b "International Rugby Archive 1981". ESPN.
- ^ The Times Newspaper (1981-04-03)|title=Effectiveness of scrummaging may determine tour's success
- ^ a b "Blood, mud and aftershave". Guardian. 5 February 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ Jenkins, Graham (22 December 2009). "ESPNscrum's Festive Countdown - December 22". ESPN. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.