‘Dream job’: Why All Blacks assistant role ‘suits’ Leon MacDonald
Incoming assistant coach Leon MacDonald will lead the All Blacks’ attack under Scott Robertson from next year, New Zealand Rugby confirmed on Wednesday.
For Blues boss Leon MacDonald, it’s an opportunity to realise his “dream job” with the national team.
Hurricanes coach Jason Holland and Crusaders assistant Scott Hansen will also take up roles in the All Blacks, while Jason Ryan has retained his position as the forwards coach.
In a statement released by NZR, Chief Executive Mark Robinson said the organisation was “pleased” with the decision to sign the “four talented and experienced coaches.”
The coaching quartet will take up their positions in 2024, while incoming head coach Scott Robertson will replace Ian Foster in the All Blacks’ hot seat.
Leon MacDonald, who coached the All Blacks XV last year, had previously been linked with a potential position with Scotland.
But reflecting on his decision to sign this deal with NZR, MacDonald said any other options “weren’t seriously considered” once the All Blacks position became possible.
“I had chats with a few people, just because you don’t know what was going to happen,” MacDonald said, as reported by Newshub.
“It was a good chance to have a bit of a think about what’s next. The All Blacks was always going to be the pinnacle and the dream job.
“The way it’s rolled out has been ideal. Once this role became a bit clearer about where we’re heading, the other options weren’t seriously considered.”
Super Rugby Pacific head coaches Leon MacDonald and Jason Holland had been linked with roles in the All Blacks for quite some time.
Holland added fuel to the fire with comments earlier this month, too, as he revealed that he’d “had a chat” with Scott Robertson.
While the duo seemed likely to take up positions with the national team, nothing was set in stone until Wednesday’s announcement.
“You’ve got to be really, really, really ready to be coach of the All Blacks, it’s definitely not one to rush into,” MacDonald added.
“Razor’s done his time, he’s ready, he’s got runs on the board.
“An assistant role suits me really well at the moment. I’m really proud of what I’ve done with the Blues (but) I think this is a really nice progression for me.
“I’m going to be running the attack, which I’ve done with the Blues. That fits really nicely with me as well, I’ve got a lot of confidence in that area.
“At the moment, I think it’s a great outcome for me.”
But for MacDonald, Holland, Hansen and even Robertson, there’ve still got a job to do this season in Super Rugby Pacific.
With they’ve secured their futures with the All Blacks, a champion is yet to be crowned.
“I was pretty hungry to win it this year, now even more so,” MacDonald said.
“To finish here with a title would be immense and amazing.
“It’ll be a bit different not walking through those doors – it’s been five years here, which is a reasonable stint.
“To win a title would be amazing.”
The Blues are coming off a convincing 55-21 win over the NSW Waratahs at Eden Park, and currently sit in fifth spot on the ladder after nine rounds.
Up next, they’ll take on the Fijian Drua at Churchill Park on Saturday afternoon.
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
2 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments