Dale MacLeod
Leading Pacific Island rugby’s defence
Southland rugby coach Dale MacLeod found the Super Rugby job he was after, and has quickly become a key figure in the Pacific Islands’ quest for success on the international stage. Logan Savory reports.
It’s been a whirlwind nine months or so for Dale MacLeod. This time last year he was in charge of the Southland Stags National Provincial Championship team and at the same time, had a whole heap of personal aspirations in professional rugby.
Like many of the players he was coaching at that provincial level, MacLeod, too, had Super Rugby dreams. He was trying to convince someone at the next level that he warranted a go.
He had a tilt at various jobs, the Blues defence coach job being one of them.
While MacLeod’s win-loss record with the Stags didn’t have Super Rugby organisations queueing up for his services, there were a couple of lines on his CV which provided him with a case.
Under MacLeod’s watch, Southland went from the worst defensive team of the 14 NPC provinces in 2019 to the best in 2020.
In 2019, Southland conceded an average 37.2 points per game; 12 months later it was just 19.3.
He did it with a team operating with the lowest player budget in the NPC.
MacLeod, a lad from Kurow in north Otago, had worked his way from the club ranks to NPC head coach.
He simply wanted someone to provide an opportunity to prove himself at Super Rugby level. That eventually came via Aaron Mauger.
Mauger had taken on the head coaching job of the newly formed Moana Pasifika team and recruited MacLeod to be his defensive coach. MacLeod has just finished his first campaign at that level and is now preparing to enter the international arena.
He has been handed the defensive coaching reins in Tonga’s build-up to the World Cup.
He will fly out to Fiji today to link with the Tongan squad as they prepare for Pacific
Nations Cup games against Samoa and Fiji, as well as an allimportant World Cup qualifier on July 23 in Australia.
‘‘I thought what an opportunity it is to potentially go to a World Cup next year. It’s pretty cool to be thought of in that way,’’ he says, in terms of the international coaching offer.
‘‘The last 12 months have been great. I just can’t thank Aaron enough for giving me an opportunity. I’ve just learned so much off him. He is an outstanding coach and an outstanding leader, he’s got so much to offer.’’
There is a feeling Pacific Island rugby is on the cusp of making some pretty big strides internationally, and MacLeod is thrilled to be part of that quest.
‘‘The proof is in the pudding. Of the boys we coached [at Moana Pasifika] 13 are in the Tonga side and 14 have made the Samoan side. Those coaches have picked these boys because they are fulltime professionals now.
‘‘The group [Tonga] got in last year to play the All Blacks, a lot of them were playing club rugby, not even provincial rugby.’’
MacLeod sees Moana Pasifika continuing to have a significant impact on Pacific Island rugby in the future if it can continue to build on its debut season.
A key will be fending off the wealth of other opportunities, whether it be from other Super teams, Japanese clubs, European clubs or rugby league clubs.
MacLeod says much of the squad are locked in for 2023, but beyond that, there could be some challenges.
‘‘We’ve just got to make sure we create something that people want to be part of and see it as a genuine pathway.
‘‘I suppose it is just like when I came to Southland, or when I was at club level, you’ve got to create an environment that people want to be part of, then when you’ve got a bit of respectability you get people asking to come.’’
MacLeod says Mauger has already gone a long way to creating an environment that people want to be part of.
‘‘The secret was allowing them to be them. Aaron did a fantastic job of creating that and allowing them to be themselves.
‘‘There is nothing made up. You look at teams that model their season on superheroes of American sport for inspiration, or something like that. Where we didn’t need to.
‘‘Teams look outside for inspiration, but it all comes from within [at Moana Pasifika].’’
MacLeod has missed the Stags’ off-season build-up because of his Super Rugby season duties, he has overseen the planning and contracting process.
He will return from his Tongan commitments for the week leading up to the Stags’ final preseason game against Tasman, before the competition opener on August 7.
MacLeod is grateful that Rugby Southland has allowed him to take on the Tongan role.
He has full faith in what assistant coaches James Wilson, David Hall and Daryl Thompson have done, and will continue to do in the lead-up to the season.
He believes the added responsibility will help them grow as coaches, as he will during his time with Tonga.
‘‘No-one is irreplaceable. I could get Covid, and I’d be away for seven or 10 days of the season.
‘‘The thing is we are the most advanced in our recruitment in terms of the squad we’ve put together. We are not going to have a lot of first-years in our group, so I’m comfortable with it.’’
MacLeod says there are just a few spots he still needs to nail down for the Stags’ 2022 squad, which includes another halfback.
He says he has identified a halfback option and is in talks with him and hopes to get the player over the line. MacLeod is also hoping to sign another back who has been offered a contract.
With Greg Pleasants-Tate breaking his ankle in club rugby, MacLeod says that they will also need to look at bringing in another hooker, to join the likes of Flynn Thomas and Jacob Payne who are in the mix.
There is also a loose forward spot up for grabs.
‘‘I would like to find someone with a bit of experience, but I’ve got the gut feeling I’m probably going to trust the boys here [in Southland] who have put the work in.’’
Loose forward Tony Lamborn – the Stags’ 2020 player of the year – has captained the team during the previous two seasons and indicated he was keen to return. However, he has not been signed by Southland.
It’s understood the decision to not re-sign Lamborn was more around off-field matters than his performances on the field.
The returning Josh Bekhuis looms as a key leader in the group, as does first five-eighth Marty Banks. MacLeod believes the Southland public will feel a connection to the 2022 squad.
‘‘The Southland representation in the group will be the best it has ever been,’’ he says.
Super Rugby connection
MacLeod has loved his introduction to the Super Rugby ranks as a coach. He is adamant the key to unlocking success in Southland is to get more players aligned to Super Rugby organisations and becoming fulltime professionals.
That comes from performances, but a willingness from Super Rugby teams to take a closer look at the Stags players is also required, MacLeod says.
He doesn’t hide his disappointment that the Highlanders did not latch onto last year’s Stags outside back Josh Moorby when they had a chance. MacLeod says he had been talking with the Highlanders for two years about Moorby, but he wasn’t locked in.
When Southland played Wellington in Wellington last year MacLeod contacted the Hurricanes coaching staff and suggested they come and have a look at Moorby.
The next day the ball was rolling in terms of the Hurricanes looking to sign Moorby. He has since gone on to have an impressive breakout Super Rugby season in 2022.
MacLeod points to Isaac Te Tamaki as another player he believes should have been looked at when the Highlanders were struggling in the outside back department this year.
‘‘If they were Super Rugby players that had played at that level then maybe, but what’s wrong with looking after your region?
‘‘It’s one thing the ’Canes do really well, they won’t bring people in if they are not better than what they have already got. ‘‘Our mates up the road probably haven’t got that philosophy. It’s getting better, but I don’t think it’s where it needs to be at the moment.’’ He hopes Southland players will put together performances this year that warrant consideration for higher honours, and if they do, he hopes Super Rugby teams do their due diligence. Prop Paula Latu is one who is expected to attract some interest, and MacLeod’s Moana Pasifika side are a potential option for the Tongan, who plays for the Woodlands club.