Smith urged to rethink retiring and play until next World Cup Robbie Deans has revealed he tried to lure George Smith back for the 2011 World Cup and has asked the openside breakaway to keep playing for the Wallabies beyond the third Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday. "We were close," Deans said on Thursday. We were very keen for George for participate. We felt he left too early in terms of his own place in the game. Deans was criticised for taking only one specialist openside to the World Cup, but said the plan had been to unleash Smith and David Pocock in a partnership that could have changed the Wallabies' fortunes at the tournament. I've had a fantastic international career. And the legacy that I've left behind on the international stage I'm very proud of. And this just caps it off": George Smith. Photo: Marco Del Grande "In George's circumstance he had a young family, four children under five, so it was an understandable desire to take the step [to sign an overseas deal] he took, but from a Wallabies perspective we were very excited about he and David Pocock working in tandem," Deans said. In fact his last outing, his last Test match, he played the second 40 minutes against the Welsh [in 2010] and was remarkable. Those two 40-minute bursts from those two blokes are probably the best two 40 minutes I've witnessed. So we were very excited about the future. It wasn't to be, but it's great to have him back and how fitting is it that he gets the opportunity for a second second-off in Australia. Deans didn't want to go into the details of why the World Cup deal did not come off. Smith was contracted to Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath at the time. Smith, 32, had earlier said that this was his "last Test," but Deans made it clear he wanted him to keep going, raising the possibility he could even square off against All Blacks rival Richie McCaw at some stage this year. "I've encouraged him never to retire," Deans said. I did put that question to him [continuing to play] at training today. His response was not dissimilar [to his earlier 'no']. But I didn't take any heed of it, I just dismissed it. Pressed on whether Smith would be available for the Wallabies' next Test, against the All Blacks on Sydney on August 17, Deans said that was not an option, although the next World Cup was. Probably not the next Test, but who knows, you're only young once and he's lasting well and the competition he's playing in probably helps that. It reinvigorates them when they have a career change. He's perfectly capable of 2015 - how old is [World Cup-winning All Black] Brad Thorn? Despite his own enthusiasm for the move, Deans is likely to have his work cut out persuading the 110-cap veteran to play on. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it will be," Smith said of whether this would be his final fling in the gold jersey. "No, it will be," he quickly added. And this just caps it off. I retired in 2010 in Wales and, to play away from home with not too many friends and family there watching - this gives me the opportunity to play in front of them and also play in front of an Australian crowd on home soil. That will be fitting for my career, to look back on and say, 'I've finished on a great occasion, a big moment' - and I'm looking forward to that. Smith, who will become the first player in the professional era to face the Lions in two separate tours, said there was no bigger Test he could contemplate. It was "the ultimate for me," he said. There's nothing higher for me at the moment.