MacDonald to coach All Blacks XV
WELLINGTON: Blues head coach Leon MacDonald has been named to lead the All Blacks XV for matches in Ireland and England in November.
The 56test All Black takes charge for the matches against Ireland A in Dublin and the Barbarians in London.
The second fixture will be played at the home stadium of English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur.
‘‘It’s an honour to coach any team with the silver fern on the jersey and I’m looking forward to coaching a strong squad for what will be two tough matches,’’
MacDonald, who will have
Clayton
McMillan and Scott
Hansen as assistant coaches, said.
‘‘This team is representing New Zealand on the world stage and we will be taking that responsibility very seriously, particularly as the first group to wear the All Blacks XV jersey.’’
The matches will be played in the leadup to the All Blacks test against Wales in Cardiff and then Scotland in Edinburgh.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster, who will name the All Blacks XV squad alongside his fellow All Blacks selectors, said last week he expected there would be minimal crossover of players between the two teams.
‘‘The quality of these matches will present an ideal challenge and opportunity to experience different playing styles and get exposure to overseas touring,’’ NZR head of high performance Mike Anthony said.
Meanwhile, All Blacks and Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea has been ruled out of rugby for nine months following the ugly cleanout by Wallabies lock Darcy Swain in the first Bledisloe Cup test.
The All Blacks announced yesterday that scans revealed extensive damage to his ACL.
Tupaea will miss Super Rugby Pacific and now faces a race for fitness and form before the World Cup next year.
Swain copped a sixweek ban for the incident but he will miss only three tests after Rugby Australia controversially named him in the Australia A squad for its threegame series against Japan. — RNZ/