1153 Anton Lienert-Brown

Called into the All Blacks squad for the 2016 Investec Rugby Championship as an injury replacement for Sonny Bill Williams, dynamic mid-fielder Anton Lienert-Brown has been rewarded for his consistent form for the Chiefs during the 2016 Investec Super Rugby season.

After debuting for the Chiefs in 2014 in the unfamiliar role of wing, Lienert-Brown secured a starting position in the Chiefs midfield in 2016 and quickly established himself as one of team’s key performers.

Across 14 performances for the Chiefs at second five-eighth in 2016, Lienert-Brown was a key cog in the Chiefs attacking wheel which reaped a club record 76 team tries. While his line breaking and distribution skills were impressive, it was also on defence where Lienert-Brown shone with his quick line speed shutting down opposition attackers.

Lienert-Brown first rose to prominence at First Fifteen level for Christchurch Boy’s High School before being selected in the New Zealand Under 20 side in 2014 and 2015.