All Blacks assistant coach Leon MacDonald quits before Springboks Tests

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

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.

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.

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.

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…! 😉😂

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?

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.

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!!

for the rest of the year

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)?