The Wallaby flanker George Smith insists he has not played his last Super Rugby match, as the Brumbies prepare to blood their highly-rated 18-year-old flanker Michael Hooper against the Chiefs at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.
Smith will end a run of 59 straight matches stretching back to 2005 by missing the Chiefs clash with shoulder nerve damage.
He suffered the injury in last Friday's 39-34 loss to the Blues in Auckland.
Smith who has already announced he will be leaving the Brumbies at the end of this season, hosed down reports he might have played his last match for the franchise for whom he has won eight player-of-the-year awards.
Having suffered a similar injury before, Smith is aiming to return for the April 10th home clash with the Cheetahs.
With a bye to come between the fixtures against the Chiefs and Cheetahs, Smith is hoping to miss just a single match.
With Smith sidelined, Brumbies coach Andy Friend has no hesitation in pitching Hooper into the starting openside spot against the Chiefs.
