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'Rugby was my ego, rugby was who I was': Anton Lienert-Brown opens up on his anxiety

Anton Lienert-Brown warms up for the All Blacks. Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images

All Black midfielder, Anton Lienert-Brown, has shared stories of his journey with mental health, taking the opportunity in a sit down with World Rugby to promote the power of vulnerability and other life lessons.

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Lienert-Brown has logged 59 caps for the All Blacks on the field and is a Movember ambassador off of it, promoting the organisation that focuses on men’s physical and mental health through a number of initiatives and donation drives.

The Chiefs star began by reflecting on his Super Rugby debut, revealing the lessons learnt from his youth and his relationship with rugby.

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“I was an 18-year-old, I was a little bit naïve,” Lienert-Brown admitted. “In hindsight, it was a big challenge.

“Things I clearly remember was, I think the first play of the game, I made a mistake and I went straight into my shell. I took that debut game quite personally, I took it really hard and in all seriousness, I thought that was probably my rugby career over. That’s just how I thought as a kid.

“At that stage of my rugby career – and I think it happens for everyone – rugby was my ego, rugby was who I was, so how I performed was how I felt, and I obviously had a poor performance so for a long time, I didn’t feel great.”

in 2016, a 21-year-old Lienert-Brown made his All Blacks debut, a huge accomplishment but not one that alleviated any symptoms of anxiety. In fact, Lienert-Brown pinpointed that year as one where he was “battling the worst with anxiety” and it was that year that he reached out and spoke about his anxiety.

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“That was the start of my journey to get through those challenging times.

“I’m fortunate enough to have heaps of people help me along the way, and I needed that help because mentally, there was a period there where I got into a pretty bad state, where anxiety was a regular part of my life.

“It’s the hardest thing to do is to speak out but once you do, there’s so many people who want to help and helped me get over – well not get over anxiety, I still have moments and it’s something that’s just a part of life but once you realize that, thing’s are so much better.

“Once you find the tools and the way of dealing with things it becomes a lot easier because you can recognize it, you talk to the right people and yeah, opening up helped massively.

“It’s been a long process, but it’s been a good one. It’s just crazy the power of the mind, we’re actually in control of what we think if we do the right work but our mind tells us things every day and we’ve got to make sure it’s the right thing.

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When probed for specifics on how he manages his thoughts and what self-talk he uses to navigate them, Lienert-Brown again referred to his long journey for reference, noting where he started and what he now knows.

“I’m quite hard on myself, growing up I wanted perfection, I want to be the best at what I do.

“It’s not actually going ‘Anton you’re the man’, it’s more recognizing when you have bad thoughts, just go easy. It’s recognizing if you’re getting too ahead of yourself or if you’re being too hard on yourself, it’s trying to find the neutral, the balance.

Lienert-Brown tore the Landrum in his right shoulder during a Super Rugby Pacific match in April, the second time he’d suffered that exact injury in the space of six months. In returning from the injury following surgery and a lengthy rehab, the midfielder described his time away as an opportunity to work on himself and come back a better player, evidence of his positive mindset.

“There’s a TED talk and podcast that I listened to from Brené Brown, that was probably when it really struck me the importance of opening up. She talks about the biggest strength you can have is vulnerability and I really believe that, because being a rugby player is being vulnerable, because every week you’re up for discussion so I see being a rugby player as being vulnerable. Every time I run out to Eden Park, that’s being vulnerable.

“As long as I prepare the best I can and play the best I can then hopefully that sorts itself out. But rugby’s a journey, you can’t always play well but you can have the best intentions to.

“I’ve found my love for rugby again, there’s been stages in my career that I’ve hated the game, but I haven’t hated really hated the game, it’s been a lot of things in my head that have made me think that but now I see rugby in a different light, I think I’ve found the right balance.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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