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100 and up for Will Carrick Smith
Bedford Blues second row Will Carrick Smith says it’s an honour to have joined the illustrious century club at Goldington Road.
The 27-year old registered his 100th appearance for Blues last Saturday, coming off the bench during the emphatic 29-5 victory over Doncaster Knights.
“I’m very proud to have reached the milestone,” said Carrick Smith. “I didn’t actually know it was my 100th appearance, I knew I was close, but it wasn’t until Mike Rayer announced it in the dressing room before the game – it’s an honour to reach that figure.
“I’m settled here at Bedford and it feels like home. At previous clubs, I’ve never reached many more than 25 appearances, so to get to 100 for such a special club as Bedford is something I’m pleased about.
“I wasn’t actually listening to the tannoy when it was announced during the game as I ran on, but I remember a loud cheer, so to know that was for me is very humbling.
“The most important thing is that it came during a victory.”
Arriving at the club for the start of the 2016/17 season, Carrick Smith has become a key figure in the Blues pack, including featuring in the last three home wins.
It's no wonder that at 6ft 11ins tall, he is affectionately known by his teammates as 'Tree', although it’s his growth and improvement in a Bedford jersey that has pleased the coaching team.
Carrick Smith has remained a consistent in the match day squad, even when facing stiff competition at lock, forming strong partnerships with the likes of Mark Flanagan and Jordan Onajaife.
Before heading to Goldington Road, Carrick Smith spent a season with Cornish Pirates and London Scottish. He also featured for Exeter Chiefs before experiencing short stints in the Southern Hemisphere.
He continued: “There are loads of special moments from wearing the Bedford Blues shirt because we’ve had a lot of success during my time with the club.
“Two matches particularly stand out; the first a victory against Jersey on Boxing Day in my first season. We’d been inconsistent up until that point, but getting the home win in front of a full house really kick started a good run of form.
“The other memory has to be the away victory in Munster in December 2017. They were reigning Cup champions and conditions were very tough, so it was a great achievement going over there and upsetting the odds.”
Carrick Smith is determined to build on this achievement; “I have to look towards the next goal and that is to keep making a difference whenever I turn out for the club. Bedford is a special club, so I want to keep pushing on.
“There’s eight games left this season so that’s the first aim; to finish the season strongly. The supporters have stood by us all season, they make a massive difference, and I encourage everyone to get along to GR as we continue the resurgence of form.”
The next chance to see the squad in home action is when Nottingham come to town on Saturday 21st March. Buy tickets online here to save £4.
