Cashmore’s new lease on life

Adrian Cashmore. Picture / Amos Chapple

If you had told Adrian Cashmore five years ago that he would be running around with a fresh spring in his step wearing Chiefs colours he'd probably have whistled up the men in the white coats.

But there he is, 31 years young, anchoring the Chiefs backline as they find their feet after a dusty start in the Super 12.

Yes, the same Adrian Cashmore who was a permanent presence in the champion Blues team which dominated the first two seasons of the competition in 1996-97, a prolific points scorer who still holds a cluster of Blues records.

The same Adrian Cashmore who seemed to be gone from New Zealand rugby when he took off for Japan in 2000 after establishing a reputation as a consistent, classy performer, and who almost certainly would have made more than two test appearances as a replacement (both times for Jeff Wilson) but for the arrival of a certain Christian Cullen in 1996.

But for an unexpected development at his Toyota club last year - when he was told thanks but no thanks to a contract extension - he might still be there.

"When I left Auckland, I'd been there seven or eight years and any job, if you're there that long, you're probably looking for a new challenge aren't you. Japan was that challenge," he said.

"I had a fantastic time in Japan, I really got into the lifestyle. I saw myself finishing my career in Japan but I didn't get re-signed so I thought I'd head home and start looking at things outside rugby."

In fact, returning to rugby in New Zealand wasn't in the scheme when he packed his bags for Japan.

"I didn't give it any thought. I'm not a big planner and wasn't about to plan three years ahead."

But he headed back to Bay of Plenty, back to his roots, the province for whom he made his NPC debut in 1992 (August 29, v Poverty Bay at Whakatane to be exact, 35-5, a try, three penalties, three conversions, he began as he meant to carry on).

"I went back to the Bay, got involved in dad's real estate business and while I was there I thought I might have one last season with the Bay."

Around that time, the Chiefs were making their march to the semifinals of the Super 12 for the first time. Come the trip to Canberra for the semifinal against the Brumbies, he got an unexpected call.

Loki Crichton had gone with the knee injury which subsequently ruled him out of last year's NPC, coach Ian Foster needed an old head on the bench, so Cashmore found himself parked on the pine as the Brumbies won in emphatic fashion on their way to the title.

Then came the NPC, and the Bay, inspired by Wayne Ormond's leadership, reached the semifinals. That reignited the spark in Cashmore. "The passion was still there, I was enjoying my rugby so much I thought I might as well put my name down for the Super 12 and see what happens."

He was on the Chiefs' bench for the first two losses before playing an influential hand in the memorable 18-9 win over the Blues last weekend.

LINING up against the Blues brought no special feelings for Cashmore.

"Sure I had seven or eight years with Auckland and have some wonderful memories. But then I had three years in Japan so I've kind of moved on from that. But it was certainly nice to win against them."

After all, he's been gone the fat end of five years and there are only five players left at the Blues from his last season in 2000 - Steve Devine, Carlos Spencer, Xavier Rush, Keven Mealamu and Doug Howlett - and of those only Spencer was around with Cashmore when Super 12 began in 1996.

That first year his team-mates included some of the greats: Zinzan and Robin Brooke, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jonah Lomu, Michael Jones and Olo Brown. You don't spend time around that calibre of player without some of the rugby intelligence rubbing off.

"You pick up a certain amount of experience. I played with a lot of great players and learnt from them. Hopefully I can pass on some of what I learnt from them."

There was an exodus of players from the New Zealand game around the time Cashmore headed away, the likes of Andrew Blowers, Charles Riechelmann and Dylan Mika. "It's a cycle and I'm sure it will stay the same. You've got young guys at the Blues, and the Chiefs, they'll do their six or seven years then go overseas and do well from it. Good on them."

Cashmore, who did plenty of good things in the win over the Blues, and brings valuable wisdom to the backline, reckoned the Chiefs had not been far off the mark in those first two losses to the Waratahs and the Crusaders, despite depressing scorelines.

"It's not that we were getting down, but if we'd been 0-from-3, well that's a position you don't want to be in.

"The Blues win was great for the confidence and it was good to see that some of the things we'd been working hard on for the last couple of months came together."

Cashmore pointed to the quality of the Chiefs' defence as the platform for the win.

"Through that you gain confidence. There's plenty of work to do, but this side has a great work ethic. Now we're just looking forward to the Reds."

 

As someone who has been active at both ends of the 10 years of Super 12, Cashmore is well placed to look at how the game has advanced.

"It's changed definitely for the better.

"There's new training techniques all the time, the guys are fitter and stronger these days and you spend a lot more time analysing your opposition and your own game. That wasn't around at all [in the early years]."

But some things don't change, as Cashmore discovered at Waikato Stadium last Saturday night. "I had the same feeling running on to the park as I had running out on to Eden Park with the Blues. Fantastic. A special feeling."

ADRIAN CASHMORE

Born: July 25, 1973, Tokoroa
Position: Fullback
Height: 1.85m
Weight: 90kg
Super 12: Blues 1996-2000, Chiefs 2004-05
Games: 50
Super 12 points: 619 (13 tries, 106 conversions, 113 penalties, 1 drop goal)
Tests: 2 (both as replacement, v Scotland, Eden Park 1996, v Australia, Melbourne, 1997)
Representative honours: All Blacks, New Zealand Maori, New Zealand Sevens