'Differing views': All Blacks ROCKED as assistant quits on eve of South Africa tour,

[The InnFORCEr]

Just five matches into Scott Robertson’s tenure as All Blacks coach, the national team has been rocked by the news that experienced assistant Leon MacDonald will depart immediately.

The All Blacks announced the move on Thursday as the three-time world champions prepare to take on the Springboks in South Africa for the first time since their heartbreaking 12-11 loss in last year’s World Cup final.

MacDonald, the versatile former Crusaders and All Blacks back, finished up with the Blues last year to join his former teammate’s new-look national coaching set up. In his place, the Blues snapped their Super Rugby drought under Vern Cotter.

In his place, assistant coach Scott Hansen and contact skills coach Tamati Ellison will take on additional responsibilities for the remainder of the season.

“Leon and I have been having some honest conversations with each other for a little while now,” 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.”

New Zealand Rugby head of professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum added: “You’ve got two great coaches who have been having some robust but constructive discussions on the approach to drive the All Blacks over a period of time now. Ultimately, they have made a brave decision that they believe is best for the team.

“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.”

Although it’s not yet known what those philosophical differences were, the All Blacks’ attack struggled at times across Robertson’s first five Tests in charge.

Despite bouncing back in style by beating Los Pumas last weekend in Auckland, the All Blacks were shocked 38-30 in Wellington a week earlier by the same opposition.

The eight-point loss came after unconvincing victories over England at home, where the attack struggled for fluency as the All Blacks were regularly caught around the halfway line.

It’s the second time in as many tours of South Africa the All Blacks have had a coaching reshuffle on the way to the Republic after the NZR stepped in to help Ian Foster’s flagging side.

Indeed, John Plumtree and Brad Mooar lost their jobs as assistants after Ireland’s series win over the All Blacks in 2022.

After a first-up defeat, the All Blacks bounced back to square the ledger in South Africa to save Foster’s tenure in charge.

The All Blacks announced a 36-man touring party on Wednesday for the Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town, with versatile Blues back Harry Plummer to remain with the squad.

New captain Scott Barrett is expected to be fit for the two-Test tour after missing the matches against Argentina, while Patrick Tuipulotu remains sidelined with a calf injury.

Squad:

Forwards:
Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, George Bell, Ethan De Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams, Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa’i, Josh Lord, Sam Darry, Ethan Blackadder, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi.

Backs:
Noah Hotham, TJ Perenara, Cortez Ratima, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko loane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor, Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Ruben Love, Sevu Reece, Mark Tele’a, Harry Plummer.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/othe...efb3f85&ei=143

[shasta]

Trooble at mill.

[brokendown gunfighter]

indeed,anyway stuff rugby i'm off to hua hin for a couple of weeks!

[Burgs]

indeed,anyway stuff rugby i'm off to hua hin for a couple of weeks!

Who is Hin and is she aware?

[Burgs]

The All Blacks boss said the pair differed on their "philosophy on rugby", but refused to divulge details of the split.

Be fascinating to get some insight to that.
Neither "philosophy on rugby" is necessarily invalid, just that one doesn't align with the Head Coach.

[brokendown gunfighter]

Who is Hin and is she aware?

hua in Maori can be translated to be"boiled Head"-so there you go,lol

[shasta]

hua in Maori can be translated to be"boiled Head"-so there you go,lol

As in "go boil yer head"? Probably not. But Hua does translate to head and pronounced the same - hooa. Hin is rock. Rocky headland. I don't recall if there is one there but I do recall 32 years ago there was a joint called "The Headrocker". HTH

[Burgs]

Did think this when I read the situation yesterday.
If nothing else, would be a fantastic mindf*ck for Razor and the AB's leading into Bledisloe!

Wallabies legend urges Joe Schmidt to snap up departing All Blacks coach after Scott Robertson fallout

Jared Wright

https://www.planetrugby.com/news/wal...rTxI5jvEA6OqBA

Wallabies legend Tim Horan has urged Australia head coach Joe Schmidt to pick up the phone and call Leon MacDonald following his exit from the All Blacks coaching team.

On Thursday, New Zealand Rugby announced MacDonald’s abrupt departure from Scott Roberston’s coaching staff.

Robertson explained that he and his now-ex-assistant coach reached a mutual decision to part ways after a fallout over their ‘philosophy on rugby and how it’s played’.

MacDonald is well-respected on both sides of the Tasman having previously worked under Robertson at the Crusaders, winning Super Rugby in 2017, before taking the reins at the Blues.

During his time in charge in Auckland, the Blues regularly contended for the title, winning Super Rugby Trans-Tasman but ultimately fell short to Robertson’s Crusaders in the other formats of the tournament.

“It’s worth a phone call”
It was at the Blues that he also worked closely with Schmidt who had returned to New Zealand following his hugely successful stint as Ireland’s head coach before holding a role within World Rugby.

Schmidt joined MacDonald’s coaching team as a senior support coach in 2021 and helped the team reach the Super Rugby final, where they were pipped by Robertson’s Crusaders.

The ex-Blues coach joined Robertson’s backroom team this year to run the team’s attack and with Schmidt currently filling that void in the Wallabies’ set-up, Horan believes that giving MacDonald a call is worthwhile.

“It’s worth a phone call. If you are Joe Schmidt and you have been coaching colleagues in the past, it has got to be worth a phone call,” Horan said in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Even if it is not a full-time coaching opportunity, it could be a ‘come over, have a look, tell us what you see and what you think’. Leon may not be looking for another job but he knows Joe well.

“The big challenge would be, given how much IP he has about the All Blacks, how much would he be prepared to give to the Wallabies.”

After initially being impressed by the Wallabies’ attack earlier this year, Horan believes that it has digressed with Australia scoring just one try in 160 minutes against the Springboks.

While Schmidt is renowned as a sharp tactician and a student of the game, the former centre believes that a bit of insight from MacDonald wouldn’t hurt.

“Just the attacking structure [is lacking],” Horan added.

“I was reasonably impressed with the first two games against Wales, and how they got width in their game, and Hunter Paisami playing in second receiver and giving that ball out the back, other than just carrying all the time. It just hasn’t been there since those first two Tests.”

While MacDonald did enjoy success with the Blues, it is highly unlikely he will return to the role after Vern Cotter led the side to their first full Super Rugby title since 2003.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the Super Rugby head coach roles look to be sewn up, unless the Crusaders have a sudden change of heart after confirming that Rob Penney would remain in his role for the 2025 season.

This would leave the experienced coach exploring opportunities abroad if he wants another head coach role.

[GIGS20]

I dunno, the idea loses a fair bit of merit simply because Tim Horan thinks it's a good idea. In a lot of ways, he's the Paul Cully of Stan.

There's also the chance that McDonald is an opinionated twat and impossible to work with (but I accept that Joe will know this as they've apparently worked together before)

[Burgs]

Yeah, it's the working together before that gives it merit for mine.
However, I think Razor had worked with him before too...
Would love to be privy to the two "philosophies".