If Ollie Smith is ready to make his season's debut this Saturday against Gloucester, then it will cap an unusual four months. When players are now wrapped up in stamina-sapping conditioning programmes amid a seemingly endless set of fixtures, it's refreshing that Smith has kept his feet on the ground by spending four months on holiday. In this interview - the first since his return from Australia - he explains his emotions during that difficult summer, a unusually quiet season and how he hopes to build on a summer away from Leicester and rugby…The 24 year-old is Leicestershire born and bred - he attended Hinckley's John Cleveland College, whose alumni also include Dean Richards and Graham Rowntree. But he spanned the globe this summer taking in South America, Vermont in the United States, the Universal Studios tour and Brisbane Broncos' rugby league training camp in Queensland. The latter trip was set up by Tigers head coach Pat Howard who was concerned for Smith's welfare after the death of his father, Mel in April 2005. Ollie heard the news 48- hours after he was selected to tour New Zealand last summer with the British Lions. Ollie says that the death of his father subsconsciously affected his form last season, but he hopes to revive his enthusiasm for rugby now. | 
