Anton Lienert-Brown adds to All Blacks midfield puzzle with strong Super Rugby Pacific return for Chiefs

Anton Lienert-Brown returned from an eight-game injury layoff in the Chiefs win over the Highlanders. Photo / Getty Images

The need to stand out this season is not lost on Anton Lienert-Brown.

With the Rugby World Cup awaiting the All Blacks in September and every player in the country trying to play their way into the thoughts of selectors, competition extends beyond the weekly confines of the rugby field.

It’s a year in which injury can create opportunity and Lienert-Brown has been on the unfortunate side of that equation after sustaining an ankle injury in the opening round of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

An injury that was initially expected to keep him sidelined for three or four weeks, the 28-year-old made his return for the Chiefs on Friday night – missing their last eight games – and resumed his bid for a black jersey.

“I was in denial really. After an injury-ravaged 2022, I wanted to play after a week. Unfortunately, I got some scans and it ended up being a high ankle sprain and it took some time. But it’s good to be back now,” he told Newstalk ZB’s Jason Pine.

“The first couple of days were frustrating but I try working within the controllables. We play rugby as a professional sport and sometimes there are uncontrollables, and injuries is one of them. I try to look at it in that way. But it’s a big year and I wanted to make a statement at the start of the season. It was a tough pill to swallow being out for so long in the first game.”

Lienert-Brown’s quest resumed with a 50-minute stint in the Chiefs’ 52-28 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin. In a high-tempo game, his ankle got a good test as he covered plenty of ground. He scored a try – rewarded for running in support - and was strong on defence as he made double-digit tackles without a miss and won a turnover.

“I was just trying to keep up,” Leinert-Brown joked. “They’re in some form, the back three, Daniel Rona, Damian [McKenzie] at 10, Brad [Weber] at nine. Man, I was really just trying to keep up with them and I just wanted to be that piece of the puzzle and just play my part.”

It was a strong way to return to the scene as the midfield race continues to be a tight battle.

While Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane seem the favoured choices to fill the All Blacks No 12 and 13 jerseys, David Havili has thrived as a full-time second-five this season, while Levi Aumua, Billy Proctor and Thomas Umaga-Jensen have been popular suggestions for potential new faces in the squad.

Add to that equation the likes of All Blacks Jack Goodhue, Braydon Ennor and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck all trying to play their way back into the national frame, and there is plenty to play for over the next couple of months.

“That’s the pinnacle; that’s the team you want to be a part of,” Lienert-Brown said of the competition for All Blacks spots.

“But the way you get there is by playing well through your Super Rugby franchise. I want to do everything I can to be part of that World Cup squad, but I know I’ve got to play well at the Chiefs first and take it week by week. If I do, hopefully I’ll be a part of it.”