Ex-All Black Jeff Wilson says Leon MacDonald’s exit an ‘expensive mistake’ for NZ Rugby

Former All Black Jeff Wilson believes Leon MacDonald's departure from the All Blacks would have come attached with a hefty price tag for NZ Rugby.

Last week NZ Rugby announced All Blacks coach Scott Robertson and MacDonald, an assistant coach in charge of the team's attack, had agreed to "mutually part ways'' before the squad departed for the two Rugby Championship tests against the Springboks in South Africa.

Speaking on The Breakdown show on Sky Sport, Wilson was of the belief that NZ Rugby would have had to compensate MacDonald with a big payout.

Wilson says he thinks they would have had to at least compensate Leon MacDonald for the commitment that he made.

MacDonald was reported to have been sounded out by Scotland last year however, he agreed to work under Robertson with the All Blacks.

Now that MacDonald has gone, two other assistants, Scott Hansen and Tamati Ellison, will take on additional responsibilities.

MacDonald assisted Robertson at the Crusaders in 2017, when they beat the Lions in the Super Rugby final in Johannesburg.

Wilson questioned whether Robertson had burdened the All Blacks with too many assistant coaches from the outset.

Wilson says he wants to know, now, who is selecting the outside backs, because that was Leon MacDonald's responsibility and they have got about nine of them in the squad.

In addition to releasing MacDonald from his contract, the All Blacks will be without injured players Ethan de Groot, Patrick Tuipulotu and Stephen Perofeta for the trip to the Republic.

The All Blacks are scheduled to play the Springboks in Johannesburg on September 1, and in Cape Town on September 8.

The match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg will be the first time the two teams have played since the Springboks beat the All Blacks 12-11 in the World Cup final in Paris in late October.

The All Blacks play the Springboks at 3am this Sunday.

Source: Stuff.co