Nick Bewley: ZB Christchurch Sports Reporter on Leon MacDonald's departure as All Blacks Assistant Coach

Shock in the All Blacks camp with Leon MacDonald leaving his role as an assistant coach. 

New Zealand Rugby announced the move today - saying MacDonald and head coach Scott Robertson have had several weeks of discussions. 

Robertson has revealed the pair have different coaching views and the combination wasn't working. 

Nick Bewley told Simon Barnett and James Daniels that you could tell from Robertson’s body language and deliberate word choices that it’s far from an ideal situation. 

He said the optics don’t look great, but Robertson stressed that he has no ill will or animosity towards MacDonald, and it just came down to a philosophical difference in how the game should be played. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Simon Barnett and James Daniels Afternoons
podcast from News Talk z'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Another big story is that of Leon McDonald, all Blacks
assistant coach and Scott Robertson, head coach of the All
Blacks parting way. So Leon is not going to remain
with the group when they attempt to win a couple
of tests in South Africa. So something's happened. Here here's
a little clip from Scott Robertson.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
I said, look, he's the hell of a coach. There
was no intent to get to the point there we
are now, but we just believe for both of us.
The best thing is as for the All Back group
is we make a call now before we move forward
and early make your decision, you know, to decision. Pray
for both of us. But we went through a process
and we've got to hear.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
So that's Scott Robertson speaking just moments ago at a
press conference. Nick Bewley Christ which sports reporter, was down there.
He joins us, Nago day, Nick, how are you mate?

Speaker 4 (01:00):
I'm a little bit shell sharks like the rest of us.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
I agreed, agreed that did anybody pick this. Did anybody
see anything from a couple of weeks back when apparently
it started.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Look, I must admit I was completely an Olympic Games
mode a couple of weeks ago, though I didn't really
a mine on the born terms of the All Blacks
all that much. But look, this is rather unprecedented, this
early in a tenure five tests and two tests against England,
one against CG and a couple against Argentina for a
decision like this to be made. Let's not forget Scott

(01:31):
Robertson when he was going for this vague what was
eventually made vacant job. In March of twenty twenty three,
Robertson assembled a team of coaches he wanted on his ticket,
including Leon McDonald, and then something's obviously happened. They know,
it's been talks over the course of several weeks, and

(01:53):
they've landed at this conclusion.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
You often read into things when you know a story
sort of just unfolded, without necessarily the history, but just
listening to Raiser. Then in that press conference, I felt
for a normally confident bloae sparky bloke. He sounded rattled.
Then is that your perception?

Speaker 4 (02:12):
I'm not sure i'd say rattled, but of course you
could tell by his body language and the way he
was very deliberate in the words he was using that
it's far from an ideal situation. Of course, the optics
don't look great, do they that Five games into a
tenure and you're having to make a decision like this,
But look, he really stressed that there was no animosity

(02:36):
or ill will against Leon. Let's not forget these two
guys go back the long way play together at the Crusaders.
In fact, when Scott Robertson was first head coach at
the Crusaders in twenty seventeen, Leo McDonald was an assistant coach.
But Robertson kept stressing just a philosophical difference about how
the game should be played was ultimately where they couldn't

(02:59):
agree and they felt the best decision going forward was
for this to be done. And I suppose the flip
side of the corners there has to be a bit
of respect and kudos given there that they've been brave
enough to make a decision like this now rather than
trying to, you know, smooth the waters out. And they're
going to South Africa tonight to hit a two big tests.

(03:20):
They've got a big interview tool campaign coming up as well.
You know, if it's been clear up until this point,
it's not going to work. The best course of action
obviously has been to rip the band aid and part ways.

Speaker 5 (03:32):
Other members of the All Blacks coaching group are based
in christ Church. This press conference was just held in
christ Church just a few minutes ago. So were there
other members of the coaching group there with Scott Robertson
Now Jadie it was.

Speaker 4 (03:45):
Just Scott Robertson and the All Blacks media manager. I
understand New Zealand Rugby Chris Lindrum fronted the media in
Auckland a short time ago. We have learned as well
as the story has developed that there won't be a
replacement for Leon in the sense of another person or

(04:06):
another coach coming in. But there was a bit more
clarity around I guess the portfolio that Leon was responsible for,
which was larger than the All Blacks attack, that'll be
taken on by Scott Hansen himself, another former Crusader's assistant
coach who came over with with Robertson and Tomothy Allison
who's there as a sort of contact specialist coach or

(04:27):
was in that sort of domain. He'll he'll get some
extra responsibility, but not to answer your question, it was
it was just Razor. I understand the team are heading
out from different cities across the country to South Africa
tonight and to tomorrow. So yeah, big news on the
eve of that departure.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
It is very big news. And thanks for giving us
some insight there, Nick. I wonder how I actually just
genuinely wonder you won't be able to answer this, Nick,
because nobody can. But I wonder what impact it has
on the team, the players themselves, because that's unsettling.

Speaker 4 (04:55):
Yeah, yeah, it was. It was a question that was
put forward by colleague Leslie Murder, who's also here, and
and that's for again Scott Robinson's stress that they thought
for the for the betterment of the players, not being
distracted of what's two big tests, this was the best
course of action. Robinson was also asked whether the players
were consulted before this decision was made, and it was

(05:18):
a firm no. This was a decision that Robertson McDonald
and New Zealand Rugby made as a collective, but the
players were informed as a poster having a sale, perhaps
being able to change the opinions of those involved. So interesting, guys,
I guess that's a summarize. It's a huge development and
one that I'm sure there's plenty more to come from.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Yeah, I'll tell you what. As if there wasn't enough
pressure already being the head coach of the All Blacks,
there'll be real pressure on Raiser now, Like if it
goes pear shapped in Africa, people will just really start
pulling the finger. It'll be Yeah, I hope not, Nick.
Thank you very much my time mate. Really good to
get your.

Speaker 4 (05:56):
Thoughts anytime, guys.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
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