Ben Smith - All Blacks Centre for End of Year Tour?

Ben Smith is set to shift further into midfield for the All Blacks' end of year tour.

Smith, who finished as the All Blacks' top scorer in the Rugby Championship with 8 tries, is set to take over another Smith in the number 13 jersey when the All Blacks play the Wallabies, Japan, France, England and Ireland later this month and next.

The other Smith

Conrad Smith is set to take a sabbatical from the game in a bid to remain fit and fresh for the 2015 Rugby World Cup - not only does this mean he's out of the All Blacks for the end of year tour, he is also likely to miss a fair chunk of the Hurricanes' 2014 Super Rugby season.

It is a fair call for the 31-year-old Wellington midfielder who is now widely considered by many as quite possibly the greatest centre in All Blacks history, and given Smith's quality to the side, the All Blacks definitely need to look after him well in the long run.

At the same time, this gives the AB coaches a chance to build depth in a tricky area. While there have been plenty of good second five eighths, i.e. Ma'a Nonu, Francis Sai'ili and Ryan Crotty, the number 13 position which is defensively more critical is a little bit vulnerable.

Ben Smith's form in attack and defence this year makes him the perfect candidate for a potential shift to centre - a position that is probably his best position in the long run. It will also enable Cory Jane to slot back into the 14 position that he occupied with aplomb until his serious injury earlier this year.

So can Ben Smith continue to be prolific on the try scoring charts in the midfield? Absolutely and he could possibly be even more influential and effective on the All Blacks' offensive gameplan.

This should be fun!