All Blacks centre Conrad Smith is rated a slim chance to face the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday night after flying home for the birth of his first child.

Coach Steve Hansen said Smith’s wife, Lee-Ann, had been due to give birth in a couple of weeks, but on Thursday evening the pregnancy had advanced.

“It looks like she’s going to come a little bit early … she started showing signs last night,” Hansen said.

Smith, a 77-Test veteran, caught a flight on Friday morning and may be a chance to return across the Tasman in time to play in the Bledisloe Cup opener at ANZ Stadium.

“If it goes really well he could possibly be back, but we’re not holding our breath on that,” Hansen said.

Rookie Malakai Fekitoa, who made his debut against England in June, will slot into centre if Smith fails to make it back for the Test.

Crusaders centre Ryan Crotty will take Fekitoa’s place on the bench after being summoned from New Zealand.