pete Posted August 22 Author Share Posted August 22 Leon McDonald has resigned from coaching team. Cracks appearing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngakonui grass Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 1 minute ago, pete said: Leon McDonald has resigned from coaching team. Cracks appearing... probably won't break dance after a victory. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 Our inside back defence was poor in the first test against Argentina, and Leon McDonald is the backs coach. Razor's way or the highway The Boks have the 2 best midfielders in Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende. Unless we get it sorted, they will be exposing that weakness. The 2 tests in SA will expose any cracks if they are there, a baptism of fire for Razor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 I'm hoping this "mutual" agreement has the AB's "clicking " along from now on!😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 Talking to my Crusader's spy in Christchurch, this has happened before in 2017, when Razor was the head coach and McDonald was assistant, and checking it out they appear accurate In October 2017 MacDonald activated a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave the Crusaders after one season I also understand from that same source, that McDonald can be a very fiery ill-tempered person when it came to issues of conflict 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted August 23 Share Posted August 23 Just following up, Leon McDonald left being an assistant Crusaders coach in 2017, citing family reasons, which we all know is an euphemism for something not being right, used to happen all the time to Racing Board CEO's. He then went on to coach Tasman in 2018, before becoming head coach at the Blues. So maybe there was an early warning that the 2 could not work together and therefore mystifying why he became an assistant to Razor. Or was his appointment something that was pushed by NZR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 From my understanding, Robinson picked his own team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 The way it all went pear shaped so quickly, and the possibility that the 2 had philosophical issues in the past, makes that mystifying and therefore unlikely. Robertson apparently wanted the next best backs coach after Wayne Smith, who was no longer available, Tony Brown, who is now with the Boks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 2 hours ago, Hesi said: The way it all went pear shaped so quickly, and the possibility that the 2 had philosophical issues in the past, makes that mystifying and therefore unlikely. Robertson apparently wanted the next best backs coach after Wayne Smith, who was no longer available, Tony Brown, who is now with the Boks My info is 3rd party! So you are probably right Hesi. I find it a little hard to comprehend that the guy who has to take full responsibility of a national team, can't select the team that best supports him. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted August 25 Share Posted August 25 Well, that is NZR for you, they have hardly been the exemplification of a switched-on management group. It will never come out, but I think that Razor never wanted Leon McDonald, because he was well aware of the 'philosophical' issues, and that is another euphemism, and just went along with what NZR wanted because he had to. But those issues were there, and they came to a head pretty quickly. Hopefully it also explains the loss to Argentina and the less than emphatic wins over England. Probably a whole lot of other stuff going on. that has now been lanced. Then again, I could be totally wrong, I just hope they acquit themselves well in SA or the knives will be out again. I have a feeling they will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Just my 5 cents worth... promise ! ABs will have to be on top of their game to win the Bledisloe simply because of the venues !, The first game will be played at Accor Stadium in Sydney on September 21, with the return leg to be at Sky Stadium in Wellington on September 28. As Howard alluded to (in an earlier post), AB,s dont like the smell of honey wafting from the Beehive whereas Eden Park has them "Buzzing". Refs have waaay too much influence on how a game is determined... 2nd/3rd umpires an absolute joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 Any news out of NZ on the match, or has the sky fallen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted September 1 Share Posted September 1 I think there was a perception in NZ, that this was going to be a very hard one to win because that is a very impressive Bok team, quite a bit improved from the WC So I think most NZ'ers while disappointed view the performance by the ABs as positive. Issues to sort, such as discipline and poor kicking, but lots of positives One thing that is coming out, is the ABs inability to score any points in the last 20 minutes of 3 of their matches this season. Certainly in this latest match, the bench was a dismal failure. Just my opinion though, and I am picking the ABs to win at Cape Town Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Can I just make an early nomination for the end of year gongs. F...wit of the year Golden Globe nominee Gregor Paul. Thank you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 Another nominee to join Paul in the race. Elliott "Bomb Squad" Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 Disappointed, but the reality is that the Boks could field 2 teams of equal strength at the moment and we are struggling to field one. Rebuilding time for the ABs, and we have some good prospects in Tamaiti Williams, Ethan Blackadder and now Wallace Sititi, who showed he is well and truly up to test footy Cam Roigard will come back from injury and Noah Hotham looks good. We could have won with better tactics and better kicking, every Bok kick was contested and most led to an advantage for them, whereas our kicking was just giving away possession. As I have said, it won't happen, but I don't believe McKenzie is the answer at pivot and Scott Barrett is not a captain, but the cupboard is bare for alternatives. Time to try new things and blood new players against Aus, in preparation for the northern tour 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted September 7 Author Share Posted September 7 Joe Schmidt clearly not any sort of rugby messiah... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 Same with Tony Brown (NZ) the Boks backline attack coach. The ABs are playing quite well in backline attack, just getting monstered in the forward loose play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted September 13 Share Posted September 13 When do the AB's play Aussie ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted September 13 Author Share Posted September 13 8 hours ago, Midnight Caller said: When do the AB's play Aussie ? 21st and 28th of this month. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted September 22 Share Posted September 22 On 9/8/2024 at 9:25 AM, Hesi said: Disappointed, but the reality is that the Boks could field 2 teams of equal strength at the moment and we are struggling to field one. Rebuilding time for the ABs, and we have some good prospects in Tamaiti Williams, Ethan Blackadder and now Wallace Sititi, who showed he is well and truly up to test footy Cam Roigard will come back from injury and Noah Hotham looks good. We could have won with better tactics and better kicking, every Bok kick was contested and most led to an advantage for them, whereas our kicking was just giving away possession. As I have said, it won't happen, but I don't believe McKenzie is the answer at pivot and Scott Barrett is not a captain, but the cupboard is bare for alternatives. Time to try new things and blood new players against Aus, in preparation for the northern tour I note a lot more comment in the media about McKenzie's suitability to be first five, and Scott Barrett's on field leadership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted September 24 Share Posted September 24 On 9/23/2024 at 12:27 AM, Hesi said: I note a lot more comment in the media about McKenzie's suitability to be first five, and Scott Barrett's on field leadership. It's called deflection! 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted September 30 Share Posted September 30 Finally, after so many years of being dicked around, the World rugby player of the year in 2015 and 2016 is back playing in the position he always should have been in. The most lamentable thing in World rugby at the moment, T J Perenara's laboured passing. Even you Barry could pass a ball better lol. Compare it to the 'Rats' bullet torpedo pass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Caller Posted October 1 Share Posted October 1 4 matches on the Northern Hemisphere tour in November. I hope I'm wrong, but the AB"s could quite easily come away with just one victory. Let's hope some young fellas get a good run out, that's what tours are for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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