Now he just wants to help the Highlanders regain that winning feeling against the old South Island enemy this Saturday night.
Smith (22) remembers being at Carisbrook in 1999, when the Crusaders beat the Highlanders 24-19 in front of a packed ground in the Super 12 final.
"They had all that talk about a party at Tony Brown's place and Todd Blackadder was the captain of the Crusaders. That was a pretty tough loss," Smith said.
Smith wants to make up for that loss by helping the Highlanders to a win after a tough start to the season with three straight losses.
"We just keep falling off in patches and that makes a big difference. We've just got to learn to concentrate the whole time and keep our minds on the job."
He is the odd man out in the Highlanders side - the only player born in Dunedin - but said it made no difference to him or his team-mates.
Smith went to Kings High School and plays senior rugby for Green Island, the club for which he played as a primary schoolboy.
"I don't think it is a big thing. There are lots of Southlanders in the team who are home-grown players. Plus we've got Paul Grant in the wider training squad, who comes from Balclutha.
"But I suppose that is the way professional rugby is going. When you are playing with a whole bunch of guys and playing for the province you don't really think about that. People move around all the time," he said.
Smith has enjoyed a quick rise to professional rugby after playing just one full season of first-class rugby with Otago last year and then being picked for the Highlanders.
He has started the three games on the right wing, having to face heavyweights such as Lote Tuqiri and Hosea Gear.
He said not being of Jonah Lomu-like proportions was not a big disadvantage.
"As long as you have your technique right and go about your job I don't think it is any problem."
Smith said the advantage of being a full-time player helped in working on areas of wing play to negate any weight disadvantage.
Smith suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot against Waikato in September last year, which, in the end, required a screw in the foot in an operation as the injury did not heal naturally.
The screw is still in place.
Smith is a fourth-year physical education student, and said trying to fit study round rugby was not easy.
He planned to sit two papers this semester and said he had another year and a-half of study for his degree.
