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How Tony Brown kept potential Highlanders bolter from leaving New Zealand for France
Returning Highlanders assistant coach Tony Brown is the reason that the club’s newest recruit Tima Fainga’anuku decided to stay in New Zealand rather than resume his playing career in France.
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The 22-year-old winger was drafted into Aaron Mauger’s squad last week as an injury replacement for youngster Connor Garden-Bachop, who will miss the entirety of next season after undergoing surgery to fix a troublesome back injury.
Fainga’anuku’s rise into the Dunedin-based franchise came after an impressive Mitre 10 Cup campaign with his native Tasman side, which went on an undefeated run to the Premiership title this year.
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His barnstorming form for the Mako came after he missed out on a Super Rugby contract this year, despite having made an appearance for the Crusaders during their title-winning season in 2018.
Fainga’anuku’s omission from Scott Robertson’s squad forced him to look at playing options abroad, and he surprised many by taking up an offer to move to France, where he joined Perpignan on a short-term deal for the 2018-19 European domestic campaign.
He returned to New Zealand this year, but despite his improved displays in the Mitre 10 Cup, another full-time Super Rugby contract went begging upon the announcements of next year’s squads last month.
That was until Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark called Fainga’anuku with an offer to replace Garden-Bachop, but with a return to France on the table – albeit in the Pro D2 following Perpignan’s relegation from the Top 14 last season – it was something the former New Zealand U20 representative took some time to consider.
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“It was a pretty tough decision [to stay in New Zealand],” he told Stuff. “I really enjoyed France. I really loved not just France but Europe.
“I enjoyed my time overseas. I learnt so much off the field. It’s just a good life experience.
“After the New Zealand U20s if you don’t get picked up [by Super Rugby teams] there is an in between.
“I felt like a good enough player to just be playing. I didn’t want to sit around. Rugby’s just a game for me. I just love playing it and meeting new people, I just wanted to play.”
However, Fainga’anuku revealed that the presence of Tony Brown in the Highlanders’ coaching ranks in 2020 was enough to persuade him to relocate to Dunedin rather than move back to Europe.
“Tony Brown is a legend,” he said. “When the opportunity came up I had a think about it but that motivated me, just to sponge up from him.”
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After having taken charge of the Highlanders as both an assistant and head coach between 2014 and 2017, Brown established his coaching credentials on the global stage at the World Cup this year after helping Jamie Joseph take Japan to their maiden quarter-final appearance in compelling fashion.
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Brown was credited with formulating the Brave Blossoms’ scintillating attacking play and precise backline moves which captivated onlookers not just within Japan, but across the world.
Fainga’anuku was one of many admirers of Brown’s coaching exploits, and the 44-year-old’s return to Forsyth Barr Stadium on a three-year deal proved to be the clincher in securing the speedster’s services ahead of the 2020 Super Rugby season.
“He’s sort of like a guru,” Fainga’anuku said to Stuff of Brown. “A few of the boys kick with their dominant foot and struggle with their other foot.
“But we had one kicking session and most of the boys now feel comfortable kicking off their least dominant foot. I’m not sure how he does it.
“I think he just puts so much behind making people better that it works.”
Brad Mooar admits he is "torn" over whether to join Ian Foster's @AllBlacks set-up.https://t.co/9GUZF1lD3W
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 16, 2019
After shedding eight kilos from his 115kg frame since linking up with his new teammates over pre-season, the explosive Fainga’anuku is eyeing up a match against his younger brother, Leicester, in the Highlanders’ pre-season fixture against the Crusaders in Wanaka on January 24.
After having grown up in the Crusaders’ region before being axed by the back-to-back-to-back reigning Super Rugby champions, there should be no lack of motivation for Fainga’anuku as he prepares to face his former side, although he bears no grudges.
“I didn’t really get an opportunity but I felt like I learnt a lot,” he said.
“When the Highlanders opportunity came up I looked as it as fresh start. It’s been a bit of a ride for me in my career.”
The Crusaders clash in Central Otago is one of two pre-season fixtures for the Highlanders, with the first of which coming against the Waratahs in Sydney a week beforehand.
The Highlanders will then get their regular season underway against the Sharks at Forsyth Barr Stadium on February 7.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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….
84 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!
4 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?
45 Go to comments