How getting dissed in public by Gavin Hastings drove ex-Scotland full-back Brendan Laney's career
The beautiful, vibrant city of Christchurch is in mourning, a people united in shock and sorrow. Former Scotland international Brendan Laney runs a bespoke clothing business a few streets away from the Al Noor mosque where worshippers were gunned down over two weeks ago in the first of two terrorist attacks that killed 50 people.
The city is still reeling from this most heinous of blows and Laney, like so many New Zealanders, is struggling to fathom how or why it could happen. “We have got a lot of healing to do,” he told RugbyPass. “What happened was an absolute tragedy, just one very, very sick individual who has certainly changed the way of life here.
“We were thinking we were a wee bit immune to the whole situation terrorist-wise, and for it to happen in New Zealand – and particularly in Christchurch – has certainly changed people’s attitudes and been a massive shock.
“I’ve got three young kids and they are going into a world that is pretty bloody scary. Particularly after this happening, it’s only going to get worse. I hope that at some stage or somehow the world changes. They are the ones that have got to change things and you hope you teach your kids values and they live by them. What happened is just not a New Zealand thing to happen – it was a crying shame.”
Brotherhood is a constant theme in Laney’s journey. He loved the friendships and camaraderie that rugby gave him. He cherished being plunged into a 40-strong squad, each man different, each with his own character, each a potential new mate.
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His introduction to Scotland almost two decades ago was as notorious as it was jarring. In November 2001, Laney arrived from New Zealand having signed for Edinburgh. Ian McGeechan and the Scottish management knew he was eligible for international honours thanks to a grandmother from Lesmahagow. Incredibly, 11 days later, he was trotting out at Murrayfield for his Test debut against, of all opponents, the All Blacks.
The aesthetic was bad. Scottish rugby seldom wants for anti-establishment dissent, but the uproar at this blisteringly fast selection was thermonuclear. “It was tougher on my wife than anyone,” recalled Laney, the so-called Kilted Kiwi. “She was sitting in a flat in Goldenacre on her own knowing no-one and all this press is happening. She’s going, wow, who have you pissed off? That’s basically what it felt like.
15.03.19
United in our grief, we stand together as one.
Arohanui to our Community ❤️ pic.twitter.com/tS2ZNl0NTW— Crusaders (@crusadersrugby) March 22, 2019
“She was wondering what the hell we had done, have we made the right decision to come to the other side of the world? I had to assure her that we had and the only thing I could control was playing well. Negative press or whatever press, you certainly read it, it can affect you, but I chose not to let it. I just got on with it.”
Gavin Hastings, Scotland’s full-back colossus and one of Laney’s childhood heroes, called the selection “inherently wrong” and described it as a “sad day” for Scottish rugby. Laney didn’t know it at the time, but a group of his new team-mates went to McGeechan to express their discomfort.
“As a kid, I used to love watching Gavin Hastings play, he was a fantastic full-back – the same position that I played, a goal-kicker a big guy who loved hitting the backline at pace, and he just seemed like a genuine good fella off the field as well.
“The way things panned out was pretty tough because you’re reading that in the paper that Gavin Hastings isn’t keen on you being there. When you hear that, maybe not pointed directly at me but certainly about me, it was tough to handle, tough to handle.
“I just thought, bugger you, I’m going to put my head down and prove that I’m good enough to be here. I’d been given the opportunity to play for Scotland in a Test against the All Blacks and I was thrilled, I just couldn’t wait – ‘I’m going to do my best, and hopefully do a good enough job that I get another crack’.”
Laney did some very good things and some utterly maddening ones in his four years in Scotland, but the errors never seemed to shake his confidence. He finished with a decent haul of 20 caps and 141 points. It was at Edinburgh, though, where his impact was most keenly felt and where he is most fondly remembered.
Fifteen years ago, Frank Hadden’s group became the first Scottish club to reach the Heineken Cup quarter-finals. They did so playing some brilliant attacking rugby, notching a famous Meadowbank triumph over Toulouse in the pool stages before the French juggernaut knocked them out at the Stade Municipal en route to the final.
Chris Paterson was Edinburgh’s sprightly play-maker. Laney thundered around in midfield or from full-back. Nathan Hines was underlining his credentials as a second row enforcer with a deft pair of hands. Young thoroughbreds Simon Taylor, Ally Hogg, Simon Webster and Mike Blair were emerging, and in Todd Blackadder they had a growling, gnarled fulcrum.
“Toddy brought some really good stuff, coming from a championship-winning side like the Crusaders and being involved in the All Blacks,” Laney said about his compatriot. “And at the end of the day, if Toddy said, ‘I want you to go and run into that ruck’, you did it. That was the mana he had – you wanted to play rugby for him, you didn’t want to let him down.
“We had really good attitudes, too. Guys were keen to throw the ball about and play some good rugby. They enjoyed the way we were playing and that’s something we certainly pushed. We were never a huge forward pack and we were coming up against teams like Toulouse that had massive packs. We had to shift them around. We couldn’t dominate them up front. We had to use other skills and we did that really well.”
Laney name-checks almost every player in the squad but there’s one he keeps coming back to. Allan Jacobsen is an Edinburgh icon, a rotund prop but a very nifty ball player who was born and raised in the city and spent his entire 14-year career at the club and won 65 Scotland caps.
Who's looking forward to welcoming Chunk back to BT Murrayfield? 🙋♂️
Don't forget that club legend Allan Jacobsen will delivering the match ball at Saturday's @ChampionsCup Quarter-Final! Watch his full interview ⬇️
📺 https://t.co/F09JCm7lTo
🎟 https://t.co/1NIXVThXjN pic.twitter.com/rG6nDY7mfy— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) March 27, 2019
Jacobsen was a part of the quarter-final team in 2004 and still playing when Edinburgh got there again eight years later. “Chunk” and Laney were close. The big Kiwi was even lured down to Jacobsen’s Prestonpans haunt – an area you’re unlikely to find in any of the tourist guides – for a night on the beers.
“It was very, very interesting, particularly when I walked into the pub on my own,” said Laney. “I distinctly remember ringing Chunk and going, ‘hurry up and get here!’ But I had a brilliant night.”
📝 Read the thoughts of Richard Cockerill as he looks ahead to Saturday's @ChampionsCup Quarter-Final in our weekly preview.
📰: https://t.co/y7bXJ0x3Uo
🎟: https://t.co/1NIXVThXjN pic.twitter.com/Qc0JqdUC2W— Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) March 27, 2019
His old pal will present the match-ball at Murrayfield on Saturday when Edinburgh tackle Munster in their first top-tier quarter final appearance since 2012. “That’s gold, eh,” laughed Laney. “He didn’t try and eat the match-ball, did he? Or drink out of it? Just making sure. Chunky’s a bloody legend and fully deserves the chance to walk that ball out.
“Chunk and I roomed together when I first made the Scotland A side and it wasn’t until about three years later he came up to me when we were having a beer and a yarn and he says, ‘I thought you were a real rude prick when I first met you, because the first three days all you did was nod and shake your head at me’. That was because I couldn’t understand a bloody word he was saying.
“The first three days, he would talk to me and I’d just nod my head. I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. But Chunky was a genuine, cracking guy. It’s a really cool thing for him to be able to do and fantastic for such a legend of the club, I think it is a really nice touch.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments