D'Arcy Waldegrave: Sportstalk host on Leon MacDonald taking up first rugby role since All Blacks departure

Leon MacDonald is poised to land at an unexpected destination in his first rugby role since departing the All Blacks in August.

Five tests into last year’s test season, MacDonald left his post as All Blacks attack coach due to irresolvable differences with head coach Scott Robertson.

The Herald reports MacDonald is to join the Western Force in a short-term director of rugby role where he will work with head coach Simon Cron - a fellow New Zealander.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
News talks here'b seventeen after four. Great to have your company.
Lots of your texts will get to those shortly. Also,
Keir Starmer's come out after that meeting in Paris and
said a few things. I'll get you, got some audio
to play for you shortly. Right now they were going
to Darcy Watergrave, sports talk host. Hey Darcy, Hello, we've
got some late breaking news. Leo McDonald has a new job.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, his first coaching position since he departed the All Blacks.
Remember the last August he was supposed to be doing
a whole big team thing with Raisor Robinson. It's going
to be lovely and then sudden he's gone out the door.
And we still really don't know what happened then, but
that's the way it rolls. But this has been reported
by Liam Napier, rugby writer in the New Zealand Herald.

(00:40):
This it was like five tests in that he disappeared
working with Razor. But now it is looking like he
is off to join the Western Force Director of rugby role.
He's gonna work with Simon Kron as head coach another KIWI.
So he's climbed on that. What that means later on

(01:03):
and the piece. Maybe that just helps him move on
into a prime position to take over Joe Schmidt's role
as the head coach of the Wallabies when he retires
from that, because he said he's upping sticks at the
end of the Rugby Championship. So maybe, just maybe.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Because it's not exactly it's not the shining life of jobs.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
No it's not. And you can get a look and
an idea about how Australian rugby works and what the
mechanics are behind or was he rugby and just start
moving in Whether that is the case or not. I
don't know. It's all about conjecture, isn't it. This is
the business going well maybe maybe maybe I wonder.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Do you think you've got a pay out when he left?

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yes? Six figures apparently, Well that's what it's time. I
don't know if there was an Australian appetite though for
another New Zealand coach. Really don't think I made not
one of those shaggy Islanders.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
That Halberg's tonight Ludia Cogan to win well, I mean,
are you who do you have a pick?

Speaker 2 (02:09):
No, it'll be someone who's won an Olympic medal, because
that's normally the way this role is. And it's an
Olympic year. Someone who wins an Olympic gold wins the Hellbergs.
It's almost like written in stone.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
I was listening to you earlier talk about how hard
it is to judge between the different sports. I mean,
how do you compare them?

Speaker 2 (02:27):
You can't. It's impossible. If someone can give me a
decent argument. Oh listen, I'm all ears. But after I
want to say it, nearly a quarter of a century
doing this, I still haven't had anyone give me a
convincing argument as to why the Hellberg's works.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Have you pass? Have you inen those twenty five years
picked the right horse?

Speaker 2 (02:51):
No, I've never indulged in it. I don't see the point.
It's not a competition.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
It's just not.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
There's no form going into it. Rather reason to dress
up in suits because we've not advanced, which I find
fascinating that women get to with these amazing clothes and
the blokes just turn up.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Well, hang on, no, it's twenty twenty five. You can
wear whatever you want if you want to go there
and we're addressed. You can do it.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
If they were going to invite me next year, and
I'm going to go along. I'm gonna wear what Kanye
West's wife war to the Grammys.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Good cough exactly. I don't think you'd make it look
as good, Darcy somehow, thank you for that.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
We will thank you. And Michael Burges just joins us
tonight on the show to look at the possible tweaking
of our set. Awards are just to see you can
lift it and push it forward.

Speaker 1 (03:38):
Into the twenty and we'll look forward to listening but
not seeing you later, Darcy. Thank you. Darcie water Grave
post to Sports Talk seven pm The Halberg's tonight. We'll
let you know if we have any results through it early,
but I think we might be off here by then.
Darcy will have more twenty one after Ford News Talks.
It'd be for more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen
live to News Talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays,

(03:59):
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