MacDonald back at Crusaders
Leon MacDonald didn’t have to memorise a speech or prepare a powerpoint presentation prior to accepting a two-year contract to be the Crusaders’ assistant backs coach.
Unlike the assistant forward coach’s position, which will be filled after several candidates have been interviewed this month, this job was MacDonald’s if he wanted it.
Quite simply, new coach Scott Robertson wanted him as a replacement for the departed Tabai Matson. The role wasn’t advertised. “He was my man, my preferred candidate,’’ Robertson said.
This time there was no confusion. Previous coach Todd Blackadder also thought he had convinced MacDonald to join his crew for when Aaron Mauger left at the end of the 2015 Super Rugby season but, for whatever reason, was unable to draw MacDonald away from Nelson where he coaches Tasman.
That resulted in Brad Mooar being hooked from Southland, and he assisted Matson with the team’s attack this year.
Now MacDonald and Mooar have been charged to work with the backline as Robertson continues to shape a new coaching model for the Christchurch-based club.
Robertson and MacDonald are certainly not strangers. They played together in the All Blacks, Crusaders and Canterbury and later coached the New Zealand under-20 side.
MacDonald, 38, had a long playing career and could operate at fullback, in the midfield or at first five-eighth: he experienced 56 test matches, in addition to 122 appearances for the Crusaders and seven for the Chiefs. His coaching career began with Tasman in 2011 and this year he replaced Kieran Keane as head coach, a job he will continue with next year.
The fact MacDonald, who wasn’t shy of contact and eventually retired because of concussion issues in 2010, played in a variety of positions appealed to Robertson.
“He is just like as he was when he played - he just gets it,’’ Robertson said. “He understands it; if people are defending in a certain way, he picks it up in an instant.
“Because he played in multiple positions he can have a conversation with players and give them extremely detailed feedback.’’
MacDonald won’t arrive until Tasman have completed their duties in the national provincial championship in late October. There will be no commuting when the Super Rugby season begins.
Robertson, who is also coaching Canterbury in the NPC, will lean on Mooar to ensure the Crusaders’ operation isn’t compromised by having two coaches involved with other teams.
While Robertson only has three or four slots to fill in his playing roster, he accepts that it would be negligent to not closely monitor other parts of the business.
“Brad has a great strategic mind, is good at statistics and trends and will do some planning while Leon is at Tasman. Then Leon can come in and collaborate with us.’’
While Mooar will monitor the overall attack, MacDonald will work with the backline’s launches in attack, defence, counter-attack and kicking out of hand.
MacDonald first played for the Crusaders in 1997. He represented the Chiefs the following season before returning to the Crusaders in 1999. In 2004 he played in Japan and then linked with the Crusaders from 2005 to 2009.
“As coach he also has a lot of games under his belt,’’ Robertson added. “When we worked in the under-20s, he would come and say to me and say ‘what’s going on here’ and challenge me in a way that would make me really think about it.
“It is a really open and strong relationship. And he has done a great apprenticeship under Kieran Keane.’’