Composed rookie making test rugby look like a stroll in the park
Anton Lienert- Brown’s rise has been so fast that the 21- year- old, who will start his fourth test when he runs out against Australia at Eden Park tonight, must now be considered the All Blacks’ incumbent centre.
It is a remarkable progression for the Chiefs player, who has taken to the pressure cooker of test rugby with an apparent shrug of the shoulders.
His first start was in his first test — at second five in the victory over the Wallabies in Wellington in August. Job, comprehensively, done.
He was a replacement for Ryan Crotty in his following t wo tests against Argentina in Hamilton and South Africa in Christchurch and then went to another level when starting at No 13 against the Pumas in Buenos Aires and Boks in Durban. Rarely has a player shown such composure and adaptability for the All Blacks so early in his career; for the Christchurchborn Lienert- Brown it appears as taxing as a walk to the corner dairy.
Coach Steve Hansen has rightly pointed out that a lot of Lienert- Brown’s success at centre has been due to the form of Crotty, but Hansen and his fellow coaches can also take some of the credit. It is said that the team environment under new skipper Kieran Read is as inclusive as it has ever been, and clearly something i s allowing relative youngsters such as Lienert- Brown to perform at a high level early in their careers.
It takes confidence to throw as many offloads as Lienert- Brown does, but he is becoming renowned for it. He was successful with three, includ- ing a try assist, against the Boks at Kings Park, and it’s a skill which can put opposition defences under real stress.
“The things that have impressed us about him are his demeanour under pressure,” Hansen said. “He’s got the ability to cope with it, for a young guy. His skill- sets are complementing what we’re trying to do.
“[ Beauden] Barrett i s playing really well because I think Crotts is giving him a lot of good voice and L- B is playing well because he’s got a good solid man inside him. It’s just a matter of taking it quietly, in L- B’s case, and growing him all the time. He’s not the finished product by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s showing us plenty and he’s getting rewarded for it.”
Crotty, 28, said the combination of himself and Lienert- Brown was going well because of the junior man’s form.
“He’s doing his thing really, really well; his strength in the carry, his ability to offload,” Crotty said. “It’s nice being able to run off him at times and try to pick what he’s going to do.” Otago are into their first Championship final since 2012 and will host their first decider since the famous 1998 NPC climax at Carisbrook.
From the get- go under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin last night, Otago sought to move the ball and keep it alive. It was rugby not without risks, especially against a tenacious Steamers outfit, but they took a 14- 6 lead into the break and were always ahead of the game.
The Otago pack were well led by lock Tom Franklin, in his 50th match for the union — though he blotted his copybook in the second half with an ugly no arms charge on Dan Hollinshead — and loose forward James Lentjes. Both scored tries and both were heavily involved.
The scrum battle was torrid, but Otago ultimately held the advantage in that area and in the collisions, where their defence was heavy.
Franklin scored the opening try after some patient lead- up work, and then first five Fletcher Smith fired a sweet cutout pass to put the prolific Naulia Dawai over for his sixth score of 2016. When Lentjes hustled over off a lineout drive, it was 21- 6 and Otago were in the box seat. But Steamers centre Lalakai Foketi and replacement Terence Hepetema crossed and the visitors hung in grimly. Franklin’s yellow card, however, did not yield any points for the Steamers in that 10- minute period.
There was some amusement for the crowd when replacement Scott Eade popped the ball with a hefty leftfoot clearance late on.
All Blacks loosie Sam Cane subbed on after halftime for Bay of Plenty in just his 19th game for his province. He emerged unscathed, if rusty, in his first run for six weeks following a hamstring injury against the Pumas last month in Hamilton. The Reporoa man should be good to go on the northern tour.
After three consecutive Championship semifinal defeats and some financial struggles, it appears Otago may again be ready to rejoin the big guns of our provincial game. Otago 27 ( Tom Franklin, Naulia Dawai, James Lentjes tries; Fletcher Smith 3 con, pen, Scott Eade pen) Bay of Plenty 20 ( Lalakai Foketi, Terence Hepetema tries; Dan Hollinshead con, 2 pen, Te Aihe Toma con).