The All Blacks' bench is yet to fire in 2024. Photo / Getty Images
The All Blacks' bench is yet to fire in 2024. Photo / Getty Images
The All Blacks aren’t hiding from their struggles in the final quarter of test matches in the Scott Robertson era.
And as they prepare to alleviate those with home and away clashes against the Wallabies to come, Anton Lienert-Brown says the onus is on the bench to provide solutions.
A loss against Argentina in Wellington saw the All Blacks unable to regain their lead in the final stages, before the same absence of last-20 minute points a week later in Auckland – albeit when they were holding a 42-10 lead.
Then, in back-to-back tests against the world champion Springboks, the All Blacks faded in Johannesburg, before firing blanks in Cape Town to surrender the Freedom Cup for the first time since 2009, and the Rugby Championship altogether.
In the past, great All Blacks sides have been built on quality coming off the bench, tormenting teams with reserves who would easily walk into starting sides for any other nations.
But as Robertson oversees a rebuild of the All Blacks after the post-2023 World Cup exodus, this year’s replacements have more often than not been made up of players still finding their feet.
One exception is Lienert-Brown; of his 75 test appearances, 32 of them have been off the bench.
The 29-year-old’s ability to cover both midfield roles, and at a pinch the wing, has seen him as a staple on the All Blacks’ bench, utilised by both Robertson and predecessor Ian Foster as a player to close out games in the dying moments.
And with no shortage of personal experience, Lienert-Brown himself concedes the replacements must stand up to be counted against the Wallabies.
Anton Lienert-Brown scores against Argentina. Photo / Getty Images
“We’ve had those honest conversations about it,” he said. “We know when the All Blacks are at their best, the bench comes on and finishes off the game.
“The reality is we haven’t. We probably could have iced two games in South Africa, but we didn’t.
“We’re having the right conversations here, the right conversation to have is to acknowledge it, to know we need to be better.
“There’s no shortage of talent coming off the bench. It’s just the way we execute those last minutes.”
Personally, Lienert-Brown would be within his rights to be frustrated at his role on the bench.
However, despite Lienert-Brown himself playing well, Robertson rang the changes for the Eden Park rematch and re-instated Ioane at the first chance he got.
But rather than sulk over his lost opportunity, Lienert-Brown knows what he has to do to win his place back.
“You always want to be starting,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s about the team first.
“I’ve had conversations with the coaches about the reasons why. I understand that at the moment, it’s a bench role.
“It is what it is. I’ll push as hard as I can to be starting. But at the end of the day, I’m always grateful to be in the squad, and putting on the black jersey.”
Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
