Waratahs must keep tabs on Ben Smith to have a chance: Israel Folau
Star insists his NSW side have to contain talented fullback to quell strong Highlanders outfit
The New South Wales Waratahs will need to keep "level heads" and reduce the influence of All Blacks fullback Ben Smith if they are to prevail over the Otago Highlanders in their crunch Super Rugby match on Sunday, according to Israel Folau.
The Sydney-based Waratahs grabbed top spot and booked their place in the play-offs with victory over the ACT Brumbies over the weekend, but need to beat the New Zealanders in the penultimate round of the regular season to keep on track to grab an all-important final on home soil.
The Highlanders, for their part, lie fourth in the standings and will be desperate to sew up a postseason berth before a daunting assignment away to the Crusaders in the last round.
He’s a great player and one of their danger men and, as a team collectively, we have to really watch out for him
"It's important that we stay level-headed and go about what we need to do," Wallabies fullback Folau said.
"That's work hard during the week and then go into the game really confident in the game we want to play.
"You can't get too carried away. It was a good win [on Saturday] and we'll enjoy it but, come Monday, we're back to business."
Coming off a forgettable 2013, Jamie Joseph's Highlanders have made a stunning turnaround to be in play-offs contention and Smith has been at the forefront of the revival.