New Zealand find replacement for Leon MacDonald ahead of European tour.

The announcement was made by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) that Clayton McMillan will be the head coach of an All Blacks XV that will visit Europe in November.

McMillan’s assistant coaches for the All Blacks XV’s games against Georgia at the GGL Stadium in Montpellier on November 10 and Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick on November 2 will be Jamie Mackintosh (forwards), David Hill (attack), and Cory Jane (defense).

Replaces Leon MacDonald as the All Blacks XV’s head coach

Leon MacDonald is replaced as the head coach of the All Blacks XV by McMillan, the current coach of the Chiefs, who led them to this year’s Super Rugby Pacific final before they were defeated by the Blues.

In August, MacDonald announced his resignation as an assistant coach for the All Blacks. While he was the All Blacks XV’s coach during their two November 2022 matches in Europe, he will not be working with the current team.

Along with current All Blacks assistant coach Scott Hansen, McMillan was an assistant for the All Blacks XV in 2022 when they defeated Ireland A in Dublin and fell short against the Barbarians in London.

He said it’s fantastic to be involved with a team starting to create its own legacy.

“The ability to work with different coaches and players is hugely valuable, and the team will be exposed to different levels and styles of rugby up north,” said McMillan.

“It’s great to have three highly regarded Assistants in David, Jamie and Cory.

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“Cory and Jamie had a great season with the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific, while David has been with the All Blacks for several seasons so to have his knowledge and understanding of that environment is critical.

“Preparations are well underway for the tour north, I spent last week with the All Blacks to see how they operate and had some good discussions around selections for the All Blacks XV with the squad announcement coming next week.”

Expecting two tough encounters

McMillan expects two tough encounters against Munster and Georgia as both sides have the benefit of being in the middle of campaigns.

“Munster is sold out, so we’re set for a great match up in front of passionate fans there and Georgia is a competitive team, they came close to Australia (40-29) and beat Japan (25-23) in July so we’re expecting an intense clash,” he added.

“These matches are an opportunity for our next tier of talent to experience different playing styles and get exposure to overseas touring,” stated Mike Anthony, head of NZR’s high performance department.

“Clayton has been a part of the program since its beginning, and he and the other coaches offer a wealth of knowledge from various Super Rugby settings.

Together with the All Blacks XV management group, I’m excited to work with them as we continue to develop a depth of potential. As we start a new RWC, alignment with the All Blacks is also crucial.ycle

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