Elliott Smith: ZB sports commentator on Leon MacDonald leaving the All Blacks' coaching staff

There's shock across the rugby world as Leon MacDonald exited the All Blacks coaching staff - seemingly out of the blue.

MacDonald confirmed his departure today, leaving on the eve of the team's departure to South Africa, just five tests into the Scott Robertson era.

ZB sports commentator Elliott Smith says it was likely Razor's decision to axe MacDonald.

"If he wanted Leon to stay, he could have said - no, we can figure this out. But Leon's gone, this isn't working. It's Scott Robertson's team, he wants to imprint the way he wants to coach on this team."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Afternoon. In something of a shock, Razor's sidekick has already
quit the All Blacks coaching lineup. Assistant coach Leon McDonald
has resigned after disagreements with head coach Scott Raiser Robertson.
New Zealand Rugby Head of Professional Rugby Chris Lendrom says
it was a mutual decision.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
This was not plan a Obviously, everybody went into the
planning phase for the All Blacks pretty aligned on where
we wanted to go and what we wanted to do.
But just over the past few weeks as they've been
preparing for games, you know, that's just become a bit
clearer that, as I say, they're not quite aligned.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
Elliot Smith's newstalk z'b's Rugby at it in is with
us now, Elliot, Hello, give us the hot goss. Did
you really quit or was he pushed?

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Oh? Look, I think they've come to a mutual decision
that it's not working, and so whether it was pushed
or jumped or walked, I think they've come to the
decision that it's just simply not working. They need to
part ways. So I think they would have come to
it here. I think it's probably the right decision that
they're not dragging it out for too much longer. It's
Scott Robinson's team, so ultimately he would have made this decision.

(01:04):
If he wanted Leon to stay, he would have gone, noy, mate,
we can wok this out. We can figure it out.
Leon's gone and gone. Actually this isn't working. So I
think there's definitely you know, it's Scott Robinson's team. He
wants to imprint the way he wants to coach on
this team. It would have ultimately been his decision.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
I mean, they're about to head off to South Africa
those are Berg matches. Has something happened just now as
has been brought.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
It sounds like I've been browing over the last five
games that they've played. I mean, you know, Scott Robinson
only been in charge for five games. They would have
had meetings during Super Rugby. But ultimately it's once you
get in camp and the rubber hits the road and
you begin to coach that you figure out a lot
more about these things. Remembering that you know, Scott Robinson
picked Leo McDonald to be part of it wasn't like
he was thrust upon him and Scott Robertson wanted him
in twenty nineteen when he interviewed for the job as well.

(01:44):
But you know, things change. Scott Robinson had Leo McDonald
as an assistant at the Crusaders in twenty seventeen. Leon
left after that and then decided to go to the Blues,
where he was going to be an assistant originally then
top on the head coaching job, and that, you know,
changes things. It's not the assistant that Leon was in
twenty seventeen, but ventually Leon's been used to being the
head coach oncho and now I.

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Think that's at the heart of it is that last
time they worked together it was very clearly head coach
assistant coach, and since then it's actually two head coaches.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
I think so. And look, this is Scott Robertson's team
and the Lion McDonald's developed the only way, the way
that he wants to go about things that the Blues
and will be used to doing the way that he
coaches a team. I think obviously there's some fundamental differences
between the way they want to prepare for games, the
attacking strategy that ultimately Scott Robertson wants to get out
of Leo mcdonalk.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Right, So four year contract, what does he get paid
out two years?

Speaker 3 (02:32):
There's probably a clause in there somewhere saying if X
y Z isn't working out, you probably get half of it.
I would guess, do you.

Speaker 1 (02:37):
Reckon he's on big money? Because I remember Fozzy was
on massive money as he.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
I'm not sure about an assistant. I'd say it's reasonable money.
I'm sure Scott Robinson's on decent, decent coin, but yeah,
I'm not sure what kind of money Donald beyond.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Okay, So the real test is going to be how
they perform against the spring Bucks. And this is now
on Raizer, right, this is all him. Now he's going
to have.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, the decision's been made. And look they've moved to
a couple other coaches to take on Leo McDonald's portfolio
for the time being. But they've made the decision. Do
you drag it out for two more weeks and go
let's see if South Africa going on tour makes things work.
We can you know, get away from everything the media
in New Zealand, et cetera, and then you get a
result there.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
What I mean is they going to have to get
results in South Africa. Otherwise everybody's going to wonder whether
actually Leon.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
Was the right Yeah, quite possibly. But how long do
you drag it out for if it's clearly not working
and you know you've come to that conclusion within five
test matches. It's not like it's after eighteen months or whatever.
It's five test matches. You do you give it two weeks?
Do you go to marriage counseling or do you just
give it? Get the divorce now and get the the payout.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
No, no, just get the don't even don't even get married.
Just make sure, don't even sign the prenup. Elliett, thank
you very much, appreciate it, mate, You're awesome. That's Elliot Smith,
Newstalksb's Rugby editor.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to
news Talks.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio