Another injury blow for Chiefs
Already struggling to take a trick, the news has got even worse for the Chiefs, with Anton Lienert-Brown ruled out of tomorrow’s Super Rugby Aotearoa match against the Hurricanes.
The star midfielder will miss the crucial round four contest at FMG Stadium Waikato due to a mystery concussion, seemingly picked up in last Sunday’s defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch.
‘‘We’ve gone back and looked at it, and he just said he can’t remember in the game where he’s got a knock,’’ coach Warren Gatland said yesterday.
‘‘He was fine after the game. He just came in on Tuesday and had a bit of a headache, so asked for some Panadol. So we just said ‘look, let’s test him on the HIA’, and he failed his HIA 3 [the final stage of the three-step concussion testing process, done 36-48 hours post-impact].
‘‘There’s no pressure from us, and it’s making sure that we just take precautions. Players can fail their HIA even when they haven’t had knocks. But we just wanted to make sure he was right, so we’re giving him a rest this week, and there’s a bye week next week.’’
Lienert-Brown’s absence is a major blow to the 0-3 Chiefs who have had several injury struggles post-Covid, and who are at must-win territory with five games to play in this round-robin competition.
The 43-test All Black has been a constant 80-minute presence at second five-eighth, and without the 25-year-old’s hard running lines, defensive dependability, and just his general experience and game smarts, it piles even more heat on the Hamilton hosts if they are to keep their campaign alive.
Gatland’s new-look midfield will see impressive rookie Quinn Tupaea move in a spot to wear No 12 and face the not-so-small task of
Chiefs coach Warren Gatland on Anton Lienert-Brown
marking the wrecking ball that is Ngani Laumape, while Tumua Manu – who played from the bench last weekend – will start at centre, with Alex Nankivell still yet to earn selection post-lockdown.
The rest of the starting side is the same as the one which lost 18-13 to the Crusaders, with Etene NanaiSeturo retaining his place on the left wing after being a late inclusion for a sick Solomon Alaimalo, who will start from the bench.
There are three other changes to the reserves, with one of those injury-enforced, after flanker Mitchell Karpik’s return from a back injury against the Crusaders lasting all of eight minutes before a concussion.
That sees Dylan Nel back in, while Adam Thomson makes way for lock Tupou Vaa’i, who is back from sickness, and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi will hope to lodge his first minutes since February 22, getting the nod ahead of Lisati MiloHarris.
Gatland revealed two of his star men had also taken a limited part in training this week, with captain Sam Cane having ‘‘a bit of sick stomach’’ and fullback McKenzie a knee niggle.
Already with All Blacks Nathan Harris, Atu Moli, Angus Ta’avao and Luke Jacobson in the casualty ward, and after Cane missed the first two games of the shortened competition, it has only emphasised the need for others to step up and lead.
‘‘The great thing from that is there’s pressure from me coming on other players in the squad to give us a voice,’’ Gatland said.
‘‘You take experience out of teams and youngsters then have to step up and start communicating. That sometimes takes a little bit of time.
‘‘That’s one of the things that we’ve been really focusing on the last week or two.’’
Damian
At a glance
Chiefs v Hurricanes, Super Rugby Aotearoa round 4
Where and when: Stadium Waikato, Hamilton, 3.35pm tomorrow.
Damian McKenzie, Sean Wainui, Tumua Manu, Quinn Tupaea, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Aaron Cruden, Brad Weber, Pita Gus Sowakula, Sam Cane (c), Lachlan Boshier, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Mitchell Brown, Nepo Laulala, Bradley Slater, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Reuben O’Neill, Ross Geldenhuys, Tupou Vaa’i, Dylan Nel, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Kaleb Trask, Solomon Alaimalo.
Jordie Barrett, Kobus van Wyk, Peter Umaga-Jensen, Ngani Laumape, Ben Lam, Jackson Garden-Bachop, TJ Perenara (cocaptain), Ardie Savea, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Reed Prinsep, Scott Scrafton, James Blackwell, Tyrel Lomax, Dane Coles (co-captain), Fraser Armstrong. Reserves: Ricky Riccitelli, Ben May, Alex Fidow, Vaea Fifita, Devan Flanders/Liam Mitchell, Jamie Booth, Billy Proctor, Wes Goosen.
‘‘We just wanted to make sure he was right, so we’re giving him a rest this week.’’
Conversely, the Hurricanes, who are also winless, at 0-2, will come to Hamilton at full-strength, with the return from a shoulder injury of fullback Jordie Barrett, who booted a long-range penalty after the siren to give his side a 27-24 win when the teams last met, in Hamilton on March 13.
That was the start of what is now a four-game losing run for the Chiefs, spanning both sides of lockdown, and they are desperate to give their fans something to smile about, having now also lost three home games on the trot.
‘‘We know we’re up against it, we’re zero from three, and we’ve got to get back in this competition,’’ Gatland said.
‘‘So it’s important that we give a performance back in front of our home crowd, and they deserve that. We have been training really well and we feel like we’re really close to clicking.’’