Liam Messam: The origin of Chiefs Mana, the 2012-13 titles, and Dave Rennie

Liam Messam is the Chiefs’ most capped player with 183 matches and 107 wins between 2006 and 2021. In 2012 and 2013, the loose forward co-captained the Chiefs to their only Super Rugby titles. He is the embodiment of Chiefs Mana, which is what exactly?

“It’s a way of living, who we are, our identity, standards and values,” answered Messam to RugbyPass.

“It started in 1996. The way we play and who we are come from those who have gone before us. Each team has put their mana into the jersey and contributed to the strength and character that people from our region – Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Counties, King Country, East Coast, Thames Valley and Taranaki – can connect with and relate to.

“In a nutshell, Chiefs Mana is hard-working, good bastards.”

Though the Chiefs reached the 2009 final, they generally underachieved under then-coach Ian Foster. Between 2004 and 2011, they won only half of their 106 matches.

Messam was above average. He played 67 games and scored 38 tries for Rotorua Boys’ High School First XV, helping them win 25 games in a row in 2001 and the National Top Four in 2002. He represented New Zealand Secondary Schools, won an NPC title with Waikato in 2006, and earned gold medals with the All Blacks Sevens at the 2006 Melbourne and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. He also won 13 out of 14 matches with the Maori All Blacks and became an All Black in 2008.

After 100-Test All Black Mils Muliaina retired in 2012, many expected Messam to become Chiefs captain. But new coaches Dave Rennie and Sir Wayne Smith challenged Messam to improve and made him co-captain with unheralded lock Craig Clarke.

“When Dave arrived, nothing was certain. I’d been with the Chiefs for a while and had never been pushed about my game before. During pre-season, everyone was treated the same, and I learned a lot about game awareness and leadership. Dave really knew how to get the best out of us,” Messam said.

“Waikato Stadium was built on an old pa site led by two Chiefs, so we chose to have two captains. No one had tried that before. Craig and I are total opposites. He’s calm, methodical, and quiet, but when he speaks, it counts. I’m louder, more passionate, and I go with my gut. It was great to share ideas with someone so different.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

5

Draws

0

Wins

0

Average Points scored

59

18

First try wins

100%

Home team wins

40%

Messam and Clarke’s partnership grew stronger thanks to a senior leadership group with All Blacks like Aaron Cruden, Tanerau Latimer, Sam Cane, Hika Elliot, Richard Kahui, and Tawera Kerr-Barlow. Messam said, “We pushed each other and kept each other accountable.”

The Chiefs also had underrated players like Robbie Roberson, Andrew Horrell, Michael Fitzgerald, future All Blacks centurion Brodie Retalick, and Tongan captain Ben Tuimanafu, who all performed beyond expectations.

“Before the season started, we boldly said we were going to win our first Super title. David Galbraith, a sports psychologist and great man, put that idea in the universe after watching us in pre-season. So we wrote it down: “We will win.

”During the season, we faced plenty of the usual rugby challenges and had to adapt. But when we focused on something bigger than just winning a title, that I believe made all the difference.”

The Chiefs built a unique culture of hard work and inclusiveness. Before the 2012 playoffs, they rode bikes to training when their field became too muddy, with help from local Hamilton clubs and schools. In 2013, they retraced a Tainui voyage for team building in Waihi. Their attack and defence were shaped by Maori themes, which made sense since most players were Maori. Sir Wayne Smith later called the Chiefs’ transformation “something spiritual.”

Messam was the ideal warrior to lead the revitalised Chiefs. During the 2012 and 2013 championship seasons, he played in 34 out of 36 games.

The Chiefs lost their first game of the 2012 season to the Highlanders, 19-23. Then they won nine straight games, with Messam scoring tries in a 24-19 win over the Crusaders in Napier and a 30-13 victory over the Waratahs in Mount Maunganui.

Things didn’t always go smoothly. Jackson Willison scored a last-minute try to beat the Brumbies 29-22 in Mount Maunganui, and Augustine Pulu’s 80th-minute try saved the Chiefs from defeat against the Sharks in Durban.

Losses to the Crusaders, Reds, and Hurricanes—including an 85th-minute try by Dane Coles—were offset by key away wins. The Chiefs beat the Highlanders 27-21 in Dunedin, with Samoan international Tim Nanai-Williams scoring twice, and defeated the Blues 41-34 at North Harbour Stadium, where Asaeli Tikoirotuma scored an unforgettable four tries.

The Chiefs earned the right to host the Crusaders in the semi-final. It was a gladiatorial struggle in which Messam scored a try in a 20-17 win.

“The 2012 and 2013 semis against the Crusaders were incredible games. They were stacked with All Blacks, like Dan Carter and Richie McCaw. How did we beat them? Our crowd made a difference, and sometimes as a player, you get into a flow state where you’re so focused you just know what to do without thinking,” Messam said.

When the Sharks upset South African leaders, the Stormers 26-19 in Cape Town, Hamilton would host the final. It was tight for an hour, but the Chiefs soon entered a “flow state” as the visitors fatigued. Tries in the last 20 minutes to gregarious All Blacks winger Lelia Masaga and superstar league convert Sonny Bill Williams iced a 37-6 triumph.

In 2013, the Chiefs won 9 of 14 matches by 10 points or less. They lost three of their first eight games, which could have put them in a vulnerable position, but they kept finding ways to win, even if it was “ugly.”

In a 39-33 win over the Rebels in Melbourne, future Welsh international Gareth Anscombe (42 Tests, 169 points, 23 wins) scored 24 points. He topped the Chiefs’ scoring charts in 2013 with 166 points.

Aaron Cruden kicked twelve penalties in close wins over the Force (22-21), Hurricanes (17-12), and Crusaders (28-19).

Interestingly, future British and Irish Lions international Bundee Aki (72 Tests, 18 tries, 54 wins) was the Chiefs’ joint top try scorer with six alongside Tim Nanai-Williams and Ben Tameifuna. By the end of the season, Aki lost his starting spot to Charlie Ngati, who played one Test for the All Blacks.

In a case of deja vu, the Chiefs pipped the Crusaders 20-19 in another blockbuster Hamilton semi-final. Cruden outscored Dan Carter 15-14, with Carter missing two late drop goal attempts.

The 2013 final against the Brumbies showcased Messam at his best. He was named man of the match in a stirring come-from-behind 27-22 victory. A 40-metre intercept by Christian Leali’ifano put the Brumbies up 16-9 at halftime, a deficit the Chiefs didn’t overturn until the last quarter.

“That was pretty intense, a setback for sure, but back in the sheds, we were calm. We talked about sticking to our process,” Messam recalled.

Early in the second half, Brumbies wing Clyde Rathbone recovered a grubber kick but was stopped by a try-saving tackle from Cruden. The Brumbies kept attacking, and the Television Match Official had to decide whether they had scored from a lineout drive, but the result was unclear, and no try was awarded. After an hour, the Brumbies led 22–12, with Leali’ifano scoring all their points. Cruden had missed three makeable kicks for the Chiefs.

When the Chiefs finally earned good field position, Messam broke from the back of the scrum to close the gap to 22-19. The Guardian described what happened next.

“The tiring Brumbies, who have played in four time zones in four weeks, then surrendered the lead they’d held for the entire match when replacement Robbie Robinson burst through their defence to level the scores with a converted try in the 67th minute… it was a championship fight… the Brumbies’ territorial-based gameplan only just coming unstuck by a Chiefs side willing to run the ball from everywhere.”

Part of the Chiefs’ success in such a chaotic setting was linked to a cartoon character who became a symbol for what the team stood for.

“Remember Bro’Town – Jeff Da Maori,” Messam mused.

“Jeff is our main Chief, our Chief of Chiefs. He holds us accountable for all our actions. I’m sorry to disappoint all our fans. There’s no great story or powerful meaning behind it. It was Tanerau Latimer’s idea. It’s a simple metaphor that binds us together.”

If someone was struggling during a game, could they hear Jeff instead of specific tactical advice?

“That’s pretty much it, bro.”