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Assistant coach MacDonald leaves All Blacks due to "differing views" with Robertson
SENZ • August 22nd, 2024 12:08 pm
Assistant Leon MacDonald has left the All Blacks coaching staff after "mutually agreeing" to part ways with head coach Scott Robertson on the eve of the squad's departure for a two-Test tour of South Africa.
Robertson says he's been involved in "honest conversations" over the past few weeks over "differing views" with MacDonald's approach in his role as the attack coach.
Assistants Scott Hansen and Tamati Ellison will take up extra responsibilities in MacDonald's absence, with Hansen taking over attack alongside Jason Holland and current skills coach Ellison leading the defence for the rest of the Test 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 we 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 needs to be on South Africa. It's going to be two tough Test matches over there."
In April, MacDonald was named as part of Razor's first coaching staff, joining newcomers Holland, Hansen, and Ellison, as well as incumbent forwards coach Jason Ryan.
But his tenure has lasted just five Test matches, with the series win over England blighted by defeat to Argentina in Wellington.
"Leon's a really good man. A good person. A really good coach," Robertson added.
"As we got into the coaching, we just realised with the rugby philosophies and just the way we click and see the game is a little bit different now.
"We see this as genuinely the best for both of us and the team
"He's a helluva coach. He's worked really hard. We've just got to this point now."
Robertson says he discussed the decision with the senior leadership group after it had been made, adding the staff would "get around the players" if need be, admitting the timing of the announcement isn't ideal.
"It's everything you consider when you make these decisions. For us, it's really important that we have our eye on the Springboks and prepare them to world class level as coaches."
NZ Rugby head of professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum said: "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."
Lendrum says the split, which he endorsed, was based purely on the two coaches' philosophical differences rugby-wise rather than any butting of heads.
"It's not a personality thing," Lendrum insisted. "Razor and Leon have worked together for a long time, not so much recently.
"They've both been head coaches at different Super Rugby clubs over the past six or seven years and I think in that time their approach has changed somewhat."
MacDonald and Robertson are former teammates at both the Crusaders and the All Blacks. MacDonald was also an assistant coach with the Crusaders in 2017, when Robertson made his debut as head coach.
In 2019, MacDonald headed north to join the Blues as head coach, overseeing a resurgence which culminated in the franchise's drought-breaking Super Rugby Pacific championship last season.
