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All Blacks assistant coach Leon MacDonald quits before Springboks Tests
By Finn Morton
The All Blacks have announced a significant change to their staff ahead of two Tests against the Springboks, with assistant coach Leon MacDonald stepping down after “some honest conversations” with Scott Robertson.
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New Zealand Rugby revealed on Thursday that head coach ‘Razor’ Robertson and MacDonald have held discussions on their working approach for several weeks. As a result, the pair have mutually agreed to part ways.
MacDonald was the head coach of the Blues in Super Rugby Pacific before leaving the franchise to take up an opportunity with the national team. In April of last year, it was announced the 46-year-old would join the All Blacks as their attack coach.
With MacDonald leaving the All Blacks ahead of two Tests against the world champion Springboks in South Africa, NZR has confirmed that assistant coach Scott Hansen and contact skills coach Tamaiti Ellison will take on more responsibilities for the rest of the year.
“Leon and I have been having some honest conversations with each other for a little while now,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said. “As coaches, we have differing views and both agreed it wasn’t working.
“Leon and I both care deeply about the All Blacks and we believe we’ve made a decision that’s best for this team.
“There’s a huge amount of respect and appreciation for Leon in the group and the work he’s put in to get us to this point in our journey. AS a team we have acknowledged that contribution and our focus now needs to be on South Africa, it’s going to be two tough Test matches over there.”
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The All Blacks’ new-look coaching group only had five Tests together up until this shock announcement. New Zealand snuck by England in two Tests before piling on 47 points in a massive win over Fiji during the July series.
But the All Blacks were left stunned in their next fixture when they went down swinging 38-30 to Los Pumas at Wellington’s Sky Stadium earlier this month. The Kiwis did claim some revenge a week later with a 42-10 win over Argentina at Eden Park in Auckland.
Aside from the wins over Fiji and Argentina, New Zealand have looked like a team that’s still trying to find their way under a new coaching group. But still, after only five matches, MacDonald’s decision to quit is significant during The Rugby Championship.
“You’ve got two great coaches who have been having some robust but constructive discussions on the approach to driving the All Blacks over a period of time now. Ultimately, they have made a brave decision that they believe is best for the team,” NZR Head of Professional Rugby and Performance, Chris Lendrum, added.
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“Leon is a highly regarded coach and has made a huge contribution to rugby across a number of teams in New Zealand, and we’d love to have him back in our system in the future. For now, I’d like to thank him on behalf of NZR and wish him all the very best.”
Seeing how good the Blues got after MacDonald left, combined with his nonsensical selections made this inevitable. I predicted sacking him would be Robertson's first test but I thought they would give him the year at least. This provides a lot of confidence that Razor is willing to do whatever it takes. Holland must be on notice after seeing the Hurricanes transformed after he left, and the stuttering attack we have seen from the ABs so far this year.
This team of coaches who have only coached Super Rugby will keep coming up short. They are literally learning on the job and the ABs coaching box is no place for such lightweights. Robertson will have to ditch some the ideology he thought was serving him in Super Rugby but was actually just nonsense.
Once again an ABs coaching team heads to South Africa with a lot more on the line than the Rugby Championship.
In my opinion as the AB's attack coach Leon would've made the call to switch BB to #10, Rieko to #11 and Jordan to #15... and that my comment about being there and watching the last 33 minutes of fumbling, bumbling shite was attributed to a backline with zero tactical impact of Leon MacDonalds doing and his quitting is the proof...or not...
Thank goodness, MacDonald has gone.
Hopefully a few players will be next, namely the ones who have undermined Robertson since before the 2023 World Cup.
I hope Mounga's return will be negotiated successfully with Toshiba or will the NRL draw him to Rugby League.
The Rugby World Cup has lost it's power to "influence players" to stick around.
They have realised that the NZRFU has ripped them blind and "World Rugby" is influenced by Rogues, like Bernard Laporte and ALTRAD owner Mohed Altrad, whose name still appears on the All Black jersey.
So your prospective jersey sponsor, Mohed Altrad is arrested for bribing Bernard Laporte, for the naming rights on the French Jersey. Laporte received NZ$300k.
Laporte's best mate Billy Beaumont is Chairman of World Rugby. Just a bunch of corrupt old men. Laporte was his running mate when he was elected Chairman and Laporte was vice chairman.
The NZRFU was informed of Altrad's and Laporte's arrest and later conviction.
CEO Mark Robinson still went ahead with the sponsorship deal. I wonder why? I am sure you will work that out.
Mark Robinson said in a statement: “In creating this partnership, we have recognised Altrad’s founding principles of courage, respect, solidarity, conviviality and humility as truly relevant to our game - and with the support of their international footprint, we will continue to build our global legacy in rugby.
So you can see why the N.Z. Players Association want to disassociate themselves from NZRFU.
The indoctrination of New Zealand players with "The Black Jersey" which proudly displays the name of a convicted criminal, Mohed Altrad, has lost its "Magic Power"
The N.Z Player's Association has had enough of the the pathetic NZRFU and is well forward in their plans to ditch them completely.
If you were a player, who would you go with, A players Association backed by wealthy businessmen or
a NZRFU "Not fit for purpose" by Last years Independent Review, which included one of our greatest All Black captains, Graham Mourie, in the panel of three.
So there is a bit going on in New Zealand Rugby and World Rugby at the moment.
I suppose "they all have to consider their futures"
Personally I would struggle wearing any Rugby jersey, who is sponsored by a "convicted criminal" especially when his crime was for bribery "For the naming rights of the French Rugby jersey"
Leon MacDonald's resignation is the least of "Razor's" problems at the moment.
An article worth reading is;
"John Jeffrey and the murky world of rugby politics"
John Jeffrey served as Billy Beaumont's Vice Chairman, when Billy's best mate and Vice Chair Bernard Laporte was arrested for "accepting Bribes from Mohed Altrad for naming rights on the French Jersey
Interesting read. Mark Robertson spews so much utter soulless corporate fecal liquid I find it hard to see him as anything but a greedy hack.
For me, it’s disappointing to see our national team that was born and grown in our communities, that broke down all class, racial, religious barriers and gave the country identity, treated as a brand to be hocked to the highest bidder.
Even if these bidders are as crooked as a barrel of snakes.
Better win both games in SA.
Well done to both for doing this early. If only Foster had the balls to sack Plummer & Moar after the initial terrible performance reviews & player feedback. It may have saved the ABs from some pending grief.
Mooar probably landed gigs with Scotland then Argentina on the strength of his involvement with the ABs.
Scotland fired his ass, it won’t be long before Argentina figure out he doesn’t actually do anything and show him the door too.
Great news for Hoskins Sotutu. Leon McDonald dropped him for quite a while at the blues, and then Hoskins becomes Super Rugby Player of the Year in one season with Vern Cotter.
Hoskins also did that interview where he talked of coaches thinking he isn’t putting in efffort or cares enough because of how his face looks.
Poor Ol’ Hos got Resting Don’t Give A Rats Arse face.
That’s a reference to Leon. So tutu’s non-selection was a personal issue.
There were rumours at the Blues about McDonald’s issues with players, Kurt Eklund somehow fell out of favour when his form was decent.
Then the Blues dish up the most limp-dik performance ever in the 2023 semi final against the crusaders.
Teams don’t play like that when all is harmonious.
Laters Leon.
Yes something Robertson has mentioned several times in interviews is body language and how players "carry themselves" - This is just witchcraft, and it has led to the best player in Super Rugby 2024 not being selected, and apparently not even being in the equation.
I doubt MacDonald had any input into forward selections- that would have been Jason Ryan and Razor’s decision whether to select Sititi or Sotutu to backup Ardie
I'd love to get some inside info on what really happened. In South Africa this would be the equivalent of Rassie firing Brown citing philosophical differences. Rassie would never appoint anyone he hasn't worked with or who is well known to his inner circle. That has been a huge part of his success. He knows exactly what he wants his coaching colleagues to bring. From the outside Razor seems pretty much at the top of a pyramid structure rather than the flat line Rassie favours.
Razor has worked with Leon before. Macdonald was his assistant back when he won his first Super Rugby title in 2017. Seems to be more of a case of two people developing completely different mindsets in their 7 years apart.
So a couple of early rookie errors from razor then. Firstly the convo on style/requirements should have been up front and comprehensive. Second, if he wanted a sacrificial lamb he should have waited for the perfect timing. Perhaps en route back from sa…! 😉😂
Cost of flights. Head Office are putting in austerity measures.
I guess it’s a good thing that they work out kinks in the coaching team early.
Is it a good thing there‘s kinks in the coaching team and so early?
Any Aussie coaching jobs opening up for Macdonald?
Maybe he'll wait for the Crusaders to not improve on this year?
Typical Bok trying to undermine Australia with more kiwi coaches. You've got your own problems with Tony Brown out to undermine you. Just watch.
Williams Amua Lomax
Savea Vai'i Darry S Barret
Sititi
Forward reserves Newell De Groot Taylor Blackadder Lord
Clarke Ratima D'Mac J Barret Ioane Jordan B Barret
Back reserves Perenara ALB Proctor
The forwards speak for itself, you need big men up front and size to compete with SA
If D'Mac is off you can replace him with BB, If the center pairing are not working you could swap both centers or keep Jordy and move him to full back and Ioane to the wing and keep Jordan on the other wing, if things are not working.
All Blacks need a 6-2 bench to match up with the Springboks who will go 7-1 or 6-2
Must say, it’s an exciting team.
My only concern would be losing a world class lock to create an unproven blindside.
Great news
Can only be a good thing long term, good they have sorted it out now rather than doing a Fozzie and getting Leon a ‘coaching mentor’.
How much of a disruption will this be for the South African preparation?
Boys have gotta be dialled in 100% for those two games, we’ve
Seen how they play when they aren’t.
There were too many voices anyway - and some selections that looked really muddled in Leon's back 3 zone. Narawa, a winger who at least had a kicking game, dropped for Love, who is a fullback to join the other potential fullbacks, BB, Will Jordan and Perofeta (not to mention Jordie)! Is Perofeta's demise (I see he's not going to Africa due to a 'calf strain' - better than the old dodgy hammy excuse I suppose) a product of the disagreements between Razor and Leon?
Noooo, this is too early!!
Wait.. how long is Brown's term with SA for?! 😏
No seriously, it's surprising how rigid coaches are, surely it was not always like this? People had the skill to go out there and coach in whatever manner was needed?
Disappointed to see the already lackluster defensive development will now be hindered further by its coach helping in the attack. Surely they could have brought Smith into fulltime, or at least NZ based, assistant coaching (or something, if you ask fowardpass)?
I think McDonald not at the same level of x factor as razor probably better without him. Good guy and coach though. We may play better as a result of this. It could brew a good one for South Africa. Which we will need big time.
Hands off to our Tony!
Wayne Smith is 67 yo. He isnt interested in a full time role thats for sure.
Maybe it will be a good thing. They have so many coaches. I've been wondering how they get a clear and consistent message through to the team. Fingers crossed Smith is helping out in the background anyway.