How the Chiefs lured Anton Lienert-Brown away from the all-powerful Crusaders
The Crusaders are a team that, more often than not, get what they want.
They’ve won the last three Super Rugby titles on the trot, emerged as champions in 10 of the 24 competitions that have taken place since 1996 and always have a healthy supply of All Blacks on their books.
In fact, 13 of their current squad members have represented national sides and that’s after factoring in that they lost five All Blacks following last year’s World Cup in Japan.
One man who they don’t have on their books, however, is Anton Lienert-Brown.
The Crusaders have always been excellent at bringing some of the brightest young talents to the region post-schooling to groom the players for a future in the red and black jersey. They’ve had ample success with the likes of Codie Taylor, Sam Whitelock, Jack Goodhue and Braydon Ennor, just to name a few.
It’s not hard to see why so many of New Zealand’s most promising players choose to head to the region – they’ve got an exceptional academy and are comfortably the most successful rugby union when it comes to helping players achieve their dreams of playing for the All Blacks.
Lienert-Brown, however, was somehow never snapped up by the Crusaders – and he was born and bred in the region, a Canterbury man through and through.
“I was one of the first players as a kid to not stick around Canterbury,” Lienert-Brown told RugbyPass.
“I went through the Canterbury age-grade set-ups from under 14s, I think. I was in their Canterbury Academy with the likes of Richie Mo’unga so I did have a lot of association with them.
“To walk away from Canterbury at the time, a lot of people would think you’re silly because they do have a world-class set up down there. That was just the thing to do – you play your rugby down there, you stick down there, and then they may bring other players in and that just creates great competition.”
But Lienert-Brown did walk away from Canterbury, instead signing with Waikato and the Chiefs – and that’s largely thanks to the initiative of coaching guru Wayne Smith, who travelled down to Christchurch Boys’ High to have a chat with the impressive midfielder.
“After a school game in my last year – it was against Christ’s College actually, I was playing Damian [McKenzie] – and Smithy came and approached me. He said, ‘What are you up to tomorrow? Can I come around and visit you and your family?’
“He came over after that and he had a plan that he set out in front of me and my family and said where he saw me as a player down the track and then he flew us up to the Chiefs. They showed us around and then I got to meet another great coach, Dave Rennie.”
This was in the final stages of the Chiefs’ 2012 campaign – their first under Rennie and Smith, and eventually, also their first-ever title win.
“They were having a really good year and they brought me up during their semi-final week,” Lienert-Brown said. “So I went in and watched the captain’s run before they played their semi-final and funnily enough, they were playing the Crusaders – and they ended up winning the next day.
“At the time, I was a Crusaders fan but to get to meet the players and the coaches in person, I almost wanted the Chiefs to win because when you get to know the people, it makes watching rugby completely different. It was just perfect timing.”
"If your team’s not doing so well, confidence is low and you've lost your groove, you tend to try harder but things just get worse."@LimaSopoaga spoke candidly with @TomVinicombe about the challenges he's faced since arriving at @WaspsRugby. #PremRugbyhttps://t.co/MzVZDBTSkU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 10, 2020
And it was getting to know the Chiefs set-up, the players and the coaches that ultimately lured Lienert-Brown away from the Crusaders. Yes, the Chiefs were on an extraordinary run and it’s naturally considerably easier to entice young players to your team when the victories are coming thick and fast, but it was less about the results and more about the environment and opportunities for growth that won Lienert-Brown over in the end.
“It was almost just them being such genuine down-to-earth people was what lured me up here, but also them having such a good environment and being such good coaches at the same time,” said Lienert-Brown.
“I had a lot of association with Canterbury, but I didn’t have a Todd Blackadder come to talk to me or one of the coaches high up – which, to be fair, I didn’t expect at all.
“So to be at school and for someone like Smithy to approach me was unreal. You never think that a coach of his calibre would come and talk to you. He could have easily told someone he knew in Christchurch to go talk to Anton and say, ‘Smithy’s keen’, but that’s not the man he is, he wants to meet you in person. It was just surreal for him to come up and talk to me and be interested in me as a rugby player.”
Almost eight years later, Lienert-Brown is now one of the most revered centres in the world and is nearing 40 caps for the All Blacks and 70 for the Chiefs.
The fleet-footed 25-year-old debuted for the All Blacks in 2016 – setting up a try with his first touch of the ball in test rugby – and started in New Zealand’s crunch matches at last year’s World Cup against South Africa, Ireland and England.
Admittedly, the Crusaders haven’t exactly lacked for midfield options since Lienert-Brown relocated to the Waikato. The likes of Tim Bateman, Ryan Crotty and Seta Tamanivalu have served them well in the past while this year’s combination of Jack Goodhue and Braydon Ennor – who were both schooled in Blues territory – is emerging as one of the most well-rounded and deadliest in Super Rugby.
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That’s not to say that the Cantabrians wouldn’t love to have Lienert-Brown on their books in the future; any team in the world would be champing at the bit to bring the Chiefs-man into their squad.
Unfortunately for outside parties, Lienert-Brown recently extended his contract with the Chiefs through until the end of 2023, which means he can continue to grow his combinations with the likes of Quinn Tupaea, Alex Nankivell and Tumua Manu in Mooloo country.
In fact, it’s hard to imagine Lienert-Brown not becoming the seventh player to earn a century of caps for the Chiefs franchise (assuming Aaron Cruden clocks off that milestone later this season) – and a big part of that must surely be accredited to Wayne Smith, the man that bucked the trend and went after the man he wanted, despite the fact that the Crusaders rarely let anyone out from their clutches.
“It’s just the Canterbury system,” said Lienert-Brown. “You got through the age grades and you sort of just work your way up until you either become a Canterbury player or a Crusader.
“But I was approached and that just didn’t happen in Canterbury. I think people just didn’t bother because they knew what the response would probably be. But I guess Smithy had a plan, and normally, his plans work out.”
Comments on RugbyPass
No 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 💪
9 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.
9 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.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 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?
9 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?
41 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 commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to comments