Report: Former All Blacks prop Jamie Mackintosh in line for Kiwi rugby return with new team
Former All Blacks prop Jamie Mackintosh could be set for a return to first-class rugby in New Zealand after five years abroad.
A report from the Otago Daily Times states that the 35-year-old, who played one test for the All Blacks against Scotland and a mid-week match against Munster in 2008, has returned to New Zealand from the United States after the coronavirus pandemic cut short the 2020 Major League Rugby season.
Plying his trade for the Austin Gilgronis alongside fellow one-cap All Black Frank Halai, Mackintosh made just three appearances for the Texas club before the season was cancelled in March.
The report indicates that the former Highlanders captain has since relocated to Dunedin and has been helping out the Otago squad in training ahead of the Mitre 10 Cup campaign, which is due to kick-off in September.
While he hasn’t signed a contract with the provincial union, it is believed Mackintosh is still eager to prolong his playing career, and would likely turn out in the local club competition in Dunedin, according to the ODT.
That could lead to a call-up to the Otago squad, provided he plays well enough, Otago Rugby Football Union general manager Richard Kinley said.
Such a move would be a disappointment for Southland fans, given Mackintosh’s stature within the Southland region.
The burly front rower played a total of 123 games for the Stags between 2004 and 2015, and played a vital role in leading them to their first Ranfurly Shield success in 50 years when they defeated Canterbury in 2009.
He also was part of the squad that re-captured the Log o’ Wood off Canterbury once more two years later, and made 67 appearances for the Highlanders between 2007 and 2013.
Mackintosh also spent two seasons with the Chiefs before jetting off to take up a contract with Top 14 club Montpellier following the 2015 Super Rugby season.
Former All Blacks speedster Joe Rokocoko has described it as bizarre seeing his ex-international teammate Dan Carter in Blues colours. #SuperRugbyAotearoa https://t.co/QQ0Qp46hDV
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In the five years since, he has played in the now-defunct PRO Rugby competition in the United States for the Ohio Aviators and for French side Pau, as well as the Gilgronis.
Should Mackintosh play for Otago in this season’s Mitre 10 Cup, it would echo the move made by his former Highlanders and All Blacks teammate Adam Thomson last year.
After seven years away from New Zealand rugby, the 38-year-old loose forward made a miraculous comeback from a spinal infection to return to action for Otago in the 2019 Mitre 10 Cup.
So good were his performances under the roof of Forsyth Barr Stadium that he won a spot in the Chiefs’ squad ahead of this year’s Super Rugby campaign as an injury replacement player.
Thomson has since gone on to make one appearance for the Hamilton franchise against the Sunwolves in Tokyo back in February, and has been named to start from the bench in Saturday’s Super Rugby Aotearoa clash with the Blues.
Comments on RugbyPass
As long as New Zealand youth are involved in sport they are passionate for, and are well supported, it’s all good. I love league as well as rugby. NRL clubs have long since scouted the First 15 competitions, the NH and Japan scout super rugby and NPC. It’s a miracle there’s any players left for the all blacks to pick from.
4 Go to commentsI'm a Bok fan, so I don't say this lightly, but he is one of my all time favourite players. I am really going to miss watching him play. Thanks for many great memories. You are a true legend of the game.
3 Go to commentsBest way to deal with all of this is to play another game.
119 Go to commentsIt’s 12-15 games Luke. Ringrose has barely played in 2024 and Henshaw and Keenan have also been out for spells in the same time period. There are always injuries and for younger players to play with the likes of Barrett will be great for them. It’s just looking for negatives where there are none.
5 Go to commentsAndy Goode pushing his own agenda with very dubious considerations on refereeing performances. Luke Pearce speaking a bit of French doesn’t make him a good and adequate referee for the Champions Cup final; his latest refereeing performance in particular was not so great.
4 Go to commentsJordie knows that he has to earn the right to put on the jersey, whatever that jersey might be.
5 Go to commentsThe best outside centre in the world at one point. He will be greatly missed.
3 Go to commentsYip his great for the big moments when needed as a safa really enjoy watching him
4 Go to commentsOne that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
4 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
119 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
3 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
4 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
4 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
119 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
4 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to comments