A double Rugby World Cup winning All Black has been on hand over the last week, lending an ear or a shoulder to his former teammates and friends after their loss to England.
Having played with Beauden Barrett at the Hurricanes, and the likes of Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane at Test level, Conrad Smith is doing what he can to help his mates out when they need it.
"You can't say a lot about the game, they don't want to talk about the game," Smith told 1 NEWS.
"That was more to just lift their heads I suppose."
Now retired and living in France, Smith knows the pain the current All Blacks side will be feeling all too well, having been part of the infamous 2007 side eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Les Bleus - still the worst finish by a New Zealand side at a Rugby World Cup.
The core of that same side would go on to win back-to-back tournaments in 2011 and 2015.
"It's still something, unfortunately, I remember very well. Very vivid in my memory but you move on, you get over it.
"The players that were affected by it used it as motivation to go and achieve great things."
Former coach Sir Graham Henry is another who knows the pain failure brings, backing the 2019 side to restore some pride in tonight's third place playoff against Wales.
"I want to see the All Blacks play, express themselves, let their hair down, play an athletic and skilful game which they're very capable of doing, [have] done many times, they'll want to get back to that," Sir Graham told 1 NEWS.
"When you get beaten at a World Cup, it hurts and it hurts big time, and you never forget that."
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