Lienert-Brown eager to wear jersey for real

Midfielder confident he’s regaining eye-catching form of last year

It was something of an awkward moment for Anton LienertBrown, standing in the new All Blacks jersey not entirely sure if he will be asked to wear it for real in the next month.

He'd obviously love for his fairytale to continue along the same lines it did last year and to be named in the All Blacks squad next week. He'd also love to go one better than that, and end up back in the starting XV, as he did nine times last season — after starting the year with his ambition set at nothing more than cracking a bit of regular game time with the Chiefs.

In an extraordinary year for the All Blacks, Lienert-Brown was an extraordinary story — surpassing all expectation by being plucked from nowhere to end the season as World Rugby's newcomer of 2016.

But all that feels more in the past than he would like. His form in 2017 hasn't been as convincing as he would like and everyone can see that the midfield is the one area where the All Blacks have a near overwhelming number of options.

Sonny Bill Williams is back in action and moving towards test form. Ryan Crotty probably hasn't put a foot wrong in four years and Malakai Fekitoa has been a good test performer in previous years.

George Moala has been punching big holes for the Blues and it's apparent that while Rieko Ioane is comfortable on the wing, he could just as easily slip on a No 13 jersey and bamboozle defences.

And lurking in the background is Charlie Ngatai, who remains a player of considerable interest but probably not until he can string a run of games together for the Chiefs.

All of this is why Lienert-Brown didn't give any sense of being comfortable having been asked to model the new All Blacks jersey yesterday. The numbers don't stack up for all the contenders to make the cut and he feels he didn't impress much in the early part of Super Rugby.

“I guess at the start of the season, I was well aware of what they call the second year blues,” LienertBrown said. “I wanted to ensure that didn't happen to me but unfortunately it has to some extent.

“But I am working really hard to get back to the form that I want to be at. I think it has come back and I have to keep trusting that process.

“I think it is a mental thing. You come out of the All Blacks and you have these high expectations on yourself to be that big performer week in and week out.

“I was a bit hard on myself at the beginning of the season and it didn't help. I have worked on going back to the basics and just doing my role.”

Keeping things simple worked well for him last year and earned him his test selection. That's the point he has to keep reminding himself of — because it's what the All Blacks expect.

With his ability to play at both 12 and 13 and having partnered Crotty and Fekitoa last year, Lienert-Brown's versatility and direct game are what appeal to the All Blacks.

They don't want him to reinvent himself. All they want is for him to play his natural game, something which dawned on him midway through the Chiefs’ campaign.

“I try to have a high work rate and do my job well,” he said. “In all areas, I am not a big centre who is going to run over someone. I am a little bit more loose, looking for those offload opportunities.” They have the new black jersey which embraces the latest technology and which includes a crest which they say is an appropriate nod to the past, now the All Blacks can feel the excitement building after the Lions arrived in Auckland yesterday.

The tour has just become very real and the All Blacks aren't immune to the excitement. They felt it during the 2011 World Cup here. It could have been a suffocating pressure, but they used it instead as a driving

force