Rugby NZ clarifies Leon MacDonald's Departure From The All Blacks Coaching Team
By Mohamed Bahaa
Rugby circles have been much in debate following Leon MacDonald's recent departure from the All Blacks coaching staff. With the All Blacks getting ready for pivotal games against their long-time rivals, the Springboks, MacDonald's leaving, which followed a conflict with head coach Scott Robertson, comes at a pivotal point. These consecutive tests are set for August 31 in Johannesburg and September 7 in Cape Town.
Currently leading the Rugby Championship following consecutive bonus-point successes over the Wallabies, the Springboks begin these competitions as the frontrunners. By recovering with a victory in Auckland, the All Blacks, who started their season with a loss to Argentina in Wellington, positioned themselves second in the standings, just one point ahead of Los Pumas.
MacDonald's silence since the announcement, with Robertson the only voice justifying the choice, has added to the mystery behind his leaving. But Chris Lendrum, General Manager of Professional Rugby & Performance for New Zealand Rugby (NZR), has reassured that there is no underlying problem with MacDonald's discreet leaving.
Lendrum underlined how totally open the NZR has been about the matter "Absolutely. We’ve been very transparent about what’s happened with Razor (Robertson) and Leon. And no, nothing else to come," Lendrum said in response to the nature of the announcement.
Lendrum clarified further that MacDonald's silence is only a result of his current situation. "Leon’s taking a break. It just wasn’t considered something that was necessary at the time," he remarked, underlining that the choice had nothing secret about it.
When Lendrum thought back on the sudden shift, he realized many would have been shocked by the headlines. "To make a change in the All Blacks coaching group partway through a Test season is never plan A," he said. He added that the separation resulted from "genuine differences in approach to coaching" and conflicting ideas about the game's present style. These disagreements were clear under the demanding conditions of test match preparations, which led to the mutual decision to split ways.
Lendrum praised both managers for responding with a "brave and decisive call" to guarantee the team's best interests. He also reiterated the organization’s satisfaction with the All Blacks' development under Robertson's direction despite all the changes "Overall, we’re really content with the direction of the team under Razor," he said.
Lendrum expressed confidence in the new coaching arrangement and player leadership even while he admitted a few mistakes, notably in the game against Argentina. "There’s just a lot of newness around the environment, and it takes a little while for everybody to bed in," he said. Emphasizing the team's good performance in recent games, he underlined that the departure resulted from two coaches not quite matching in their approaches rather than from performance problems.
JUDY ROTICH