Highlanders and All Blacks star Ben Smith has a new nickname, coach Aaron Mauger revealed after his side's 55-29 pre-season win over the Waratahs in Queenstown last night.
Making his return to rugby after a sabbatical away from the game to end 2017, Smith returned for the Highlanders, losing a tooth in the process, with his teammates quick to dish out a new nickname, replacing the affectionate "Ben from accounts" tag.
"I think that's the second one (tooth) he's had this pre-season," coach Aaron Mauger told 1 NEWS.
"I think the boys are actually calling him Lloyd off Dumb and Dumber!"
"It came out over the speaker that one of the local dentists was going to look after him. He's a popular man, so hopefully he gets it fixed before too long."
All joking aside, Mauger also spoke about what it means to have his skipper back in action.
"It's been great to have him back."
"He's a pretty phenomenal sort of leader, he's a guy that just leads with his actions."
"He's been running personal bests in his fitness tests, he's in pretty good shape. It's been a great advantage for us to have him involved in the pre-season."
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