D'Arcy Waldegrave: Kudos to New Zealand Rugby

Kudos to NZR.  

The news of the result of the schism between Razor and Rangi was a huge surprise. What was even more surprising was that no one knew. Keeping a lid on an internal collapse like that is quite the trick. They must be pleased as punch that their process was sealed to the outside world.  

There are aspects to this top floor rupture that have been explained away, but they still leave me in an uncomfortable space.  How did this unravel so fast? This suggests the due diligence around the appointment of Leon MacDonald was lacking. History tells us that the relationship between both coaches had been uneasy at times, namely the 2017 fissure at the Crusaders when Leon bailed on Scott to move to Nelson for family etc. then in a flash, he arrived on the Blues doorstep. Nothing wrong with that, surely a flag though, albeit a pennant, not a Garrison, but a flag nonetheless.  

There was also the vacuum that was the absence of Leon not only in person, but in the press release too. It’s standard fare for the statements issued around a departing figure to include a vanilla line or two wishing the team the best and thanking NZR for the opportunity. Not this time. Read into that what you will. To me this suggests the split was acrimonious, based on more than just a differing in philosophy.  

NZR addressed these concerns and are adamant that although the relationship collapse and subsequent departure was unfortunate, there is nothing more to the story. As The Roots hip-hop group titled their 1999 banger of an album, Things Fall Apart. 

I’m sure that whatever happened, the positive aspect here is that before the whole festering boil exploded, it was efficiently lanced.  

And we definitely know who wears the trousers in the coaching box. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldegrave from Newstalk zb.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Kudos right to en z R. The news of the
result of the schism between Razor and Varangi was a
huge surprise. What was even more surprising was that no
one knew like keeping a lid on an internal collapse
like that is quite the trick. Internally, they must be repleased,

(00:32):
pleased to punch that their process was sealed to the
outside world. Applause all around. There are aspects of to
this top floor rupture that had been explained way, but
they still leave me in an uncomfortable space. So how
did this unravel so fast? This suggests the due diligence
around the appointment of Leo McDonald was lacking. History tells

(00:53):
us that the relationship between both coaches had been uneasy
at times, namely the twenty seventeen fisher at the Crusaders,
when Leon bailed on Scott to move to Nelson for
family reasons. A tete in a flashy arrived in the
Blues doorstep before taking over the head coaching job. Eventually.
There's nothing wrong with that, surely, A flag, though, albeit

(01:14):
a penance not a garrison, but a flag. Nonetheless, yet
there was also the vacuum that was the absence of Leon,
not only in person, but in the press release as well.
It's standard fair for statements issued around a departing figure
to include a vanilla line or two attributed to the
aforementioned human it wishing the team the best and thinking

(01:35):
inst are for the opportunity, etc. Not this time. You
read into that what you will, but to me it
suggests the split was acrimonious based on more than just
a differing in philosophy. JEDR addressed these concerns, though, and
adamant that although the relationship collapsed and subsequent departure was unfortunate,

(01:55):
there was nothing more to the story. As the roots
hip hop group titled their nineteen ninety nine banger of
an album, Things Fall Apart. I'm sure whatever happened, it
doesn't matter. There is a positive aspect to all of this,
and it is the fact that the whole festering boil,
before it exploded all over the face of nz R,

(02:18):
it was efficiently lanced. And we also definitely know who
wears the trousers in the coaching box. That'll do.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
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