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Departing Chiefs coach shares a moment with Anton Lienert-Brown ahead of final match: 'F***, I'm already losing it'
It’s not often that coaches and players share a quick cuddle during a chat with media.
With Chiefs forwards coach Neil Barnes heading off to coach Taranaki after the completion of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, however, Sunday night’s fixture with the Waratahs will be his final jaunt with the Hamilton-based side – and both he and senior Chiefs midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown were understandably emotional acknowledging that their time together was quickly coming to an end.
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“Obviously, he’s a quality coach but best of all, he’s a good bugger on and off the field,” Lienert-Brown said of his departing coach. “We’ve had some really good challenging conversations throughout our time, we’ve had arguments – which are good ones – and we’ve also had a lot of good times together too.
“He’s going to be sorely missed, he’s pretty much dad to the whole forward pack – especially with those Taranaki boys. They’re going to be without their old man. It’s going to be tough seeing old mate go but he’ll be around no doubt.
“You’ve been bloody good mate,” he said, addressing Barnes, “and really appreciate it.”
Barnes joined the Chiefs coaching set-up in 2016 under Dave Rennie. In the years since, Barnes has also worked under Colin Cooper, Warren Gatland and Clayton McMillan and will leave knowing he’s made a huge impact on the players and wider team alike.
There’s a healthy contingent of Taranaki players involved in the Chiefs set-up who Barnes will continue to mentor during the NPC. The likes of Bradley Slater, Reuben O’Neill, Josh Lord, Tupou Vaa’i, Mitch Brown, Lachlan Boshier, Kaylum Boshier, Pita Gus Sowakula, Tom Florence and Sean Wainui will all get to spend plenty more time with the old head.
While the Chiefs struggled throughout 2020, a slew of talented young players were blooded at a time when experience was thin on the ground and Barnes is confident that the future is bright for the franchise.
“If there’s one thing I’m proud of, it’s the group that I’m leaving behind up front,” he said.
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“It’s been a tough time, the last couple of years, because we’ve lost our experience and that was unintentional. We’ve had to blood 19 and 20-year-olds. Last year was a big learning process for them but right at the moment, they’ve friggin transformed into Super players now. I think next year they’re at that level where they’re experienced campaigners, chuck Brodie Retallick amongst them, and I’d say look out to the opposition.”
Could it be? Are the Blues finally on track for a Super Rugby final? #SuperRugbyTT
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— The XV Rugby (@TheXV) June 7, 2021
While Barnes won’t be on hand to enjoy the benefits of their development as a coach, he’ll still take plenty of satisfaction in seeing how those players perform in the coming seasons.
“I’ll still enjoy it. There’s a lot of depth there and you look at them all, they’re going to be 21, 22 with a fella that’s nudging 30 to lead them and I’m sure he’ll be at his best to stay in front of them but he’ll have competition so it’s a good position to be in for the club. It’s something that, as I say, I’ll look back on with a little bit of pride and watch them go about their work.”
In Barnes’ six years with the Chiefs, the side made five Super Rugby finals – including this year’s Aotearoa final with the Crusaders. While the Chiefs aren’t on track to play in the ultimate game of the Trans-Tasman competition, the results have never been the key driver of Barnes’ enjoyment with the team.
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“[It’s the] people, first and foremost. The culture. I was really fortunate, I suppose, to coach with Rens to start with, but right through the whole six years it’s been pretty special. F***, I’m already losing it.”
It was a good thing that Lienert-Brown was on hand to give his coach a few pats on the back.
Comments on RugbyPass
What was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
27 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
83 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
83 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
4 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
27 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
4 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
4 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
27 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to comments