The 2023 season has not got off to an ideal start for Anton Lienert-Brown.
After a shoulder injury ruled him out of the majority of the All Blacks’ 2022 campaign, the 28-year-old was able to return late in the year and set a platform on which to build towards stakinghis claim to a spot in Ian Foster’s World Cup squad.
However, his 2023 campaign was brought to an abrupt halt when he suffered an ankle injury in the opening match of the Chiefs’ Super Rugby Pacific season. For the nine rounds that followed, Lienert-Brown has been confined to the sidelines.
But after playing some club rugby last weekend, the 60-test All Blacks midfielder has been named to return for the Chiefs’ match against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night, making his 100th appearance for the team.
“I guess it is frustrating, but it’s all part of the journey,” Lienert-Brown said of his start to the year.
“As a professional rugby player, there are uncontrollables in the game and injuries are one of them. It hasn’t been ideal, but it’s all part of it, and I’ve done all I can to get back to where I am now.”
With five rounds left of the regular season, Lienert-Brown will have plenty of opportunity to play his way into the minds of the selectors, with an eye towards the World Cup at the end of the year.
He joins a heavily contested midfield competition, with players across the New Zealand teams putting their hands up.
But while the World Cup is a topic lingering in the background, Lienert-Brown said he was simply excited to return to the field.
“The start of this year didn’t go as planned, but I’m stoked. I love playing rugby, and I got to play some club rugby last weekend, so that was exciting as well. To put the Chiefs jersey back on again is awesome.”
Anton Lienert-Brown. Photo / Getty Images
Lienert-Brown will start at second-five in place of Rameka Poihipi, with Daniel Rona remaining at centre and Alex Nankivell set to make his return from the bench.
Despite being unable to play, coach Clayton McMillan said Lienert-Brown had been a big part of the Chiefs in their 9-0 start to the season and was hopeful they would welcome him back in an appropriate fashion.
“He’s been a real warrior,” McMillan said. “He’s had a few challenges with injuries over the last couple of years, but it never dampens his enthusiasm or the influence he has on this team.
“He really leads the way in terms of his work rate and passion, and hopefully we’ll be doing him justice this weekend with a performance that reflects the qualities he brings to the team.”
Lienert-Brown will be one of two All Blacks making their return from a long injury layoff on Friday night, with Josh Lord set to come back from a knee injury when he is called into action from the bench.
They will, however, be without workhorse lock Brodie Retallick as he sustained a groin injury during last weekend’s win over the Crusaders, and McMillan indicated he could miss a couple of weeks with the issue. Naitoa Ah Kuoi will start alongside Tupou Vaa’i in his place.
