Analysis - Just as the good ship All Blacks had righted itself after taking an Argentinean broadside, one of the leading hands has decided to walk the plank.
Or at least, that is what it feels like after Leon MacDonald sensationally left the team on the eve of its departure to South Africa.
Scott Robertson fronted media in Christchurch on what was supposed to be a week off for the All Blacks, clearly trying to find the best way to describe a very awkward situation.
Robertson mentioned MacDonald is a "helluva coach" quite a few times, about the same number as Chris Lendrum, NZR's Head of Professional Rugby, said that it was a "brave and bold decision". They are definitely not wrong - MacDonald did not end up as an All Black assistant by accident and he could have been in the gig for the next World Cup cycle without too many questions.
Both Robertson and Lendrum said things "haven't quite clicked", which is a pretty broad statement but can be probably seen as a way of saying that both their outlooks on rugby cannot fit in the same room.
Both men are former Super Rugby head coaches, the most alpha-male of positions, and any sort of concession in front of a squad of All Blacks is too much for either to bear. Both are former All Blacks, former teammates and have been around each other for a long time, maybe long enough for MacDonald to feel like he could speak up whenever he felt like it.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, centre, with coaching staff Jason Ryan,left, Jason Holland, Scott Hansen and Leon MacDonald following the All Blacks Squad Announcement. Photo: Joseph Johnson/ActionPress
Another way of reading between the lines is that perhaps it is because MacDonald did not quite end up with the official right-hand-man role. The one that Steve Hansen had next to Sir Graham Henry and the one Ian Foster had next to Hansen, it is something that Robertson may well be using this season as an audition for.
Given MacDonald had been on Robertson's coaching ticket for a long time now, it would not be a surprise to find out that simply being treated like everyone else (or maybe being leapfrogged already in the pecking order) came as a bit of a shock.
Still, this is very much a case of being careful what you wish for. MacDonald never really bothered to hide his aspirations of being an All Black assistant coach while being head coach of the Blues, something that became a bit of a talking point when Vern Cotter eventually replaced him and took the Auckland-based side to their first Super Rugby title in 21 seasons. After all that, MacDonald only lasted five tests, beaten by a personality clash rather than any test opponents.
Both are former All Blacks, former teammates and have been around each other for a long time. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
What now for MacDonald?
The long term option ironically may well be back where it all started for him and Robertson as teammates. The Crusaders have somehow retained Rob Penney as head coach despite coming off their worst season since 1996, but it is likely that the tolerance for losses will be pretty short if they start scraping the barrel again and MacDonald is an ideal candidate.
That is if he wants to stay in New Zealand - there are likely to be options in Japan and Europe for someone of his calibre.
But if this all sounds a bit familiar, it is because it is. Only two years ago, John Plumtree and Brad Mooar were let go on the eve of a South African tour, which turned into the most turbulent and dramatic period of Ian Foster's time in charge. Lendrum acknowledged that feels like a bit of 'here we go again' for All Black fans.
"I can understand that today's news seems a little bit out of the ordinary. I understand people have a huge amount of care for the team, but this is quite a different situation to the one in 2022 … this is not a performance related situation."
New Zealand Rugby boss Chris Lendrum speaks in Auckland following the unexpected resignation of All Blacks assistant coach Leon MacDonald. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
With respect to Lendrum, it kind of is though. Robertson and MacDonald could not perform together as coaches, due to whatever reasons. The good news is there are plenty of coaches left in the All Blacks who are pretty happy with their situations - Scott Hansen and Tamati Ellison will fill the gap left for now.
Will this be seen as a massive twist in the narrative of this All Black team? It is up to the collective of Robertson, his staff and the players to decide that with these upcoming tests against the world champions Springboks. But whether MacDonald decides to tell his side of the story is entirely up to him.
All Blacks South African tour
All Blacks v Springboks
Kick-off: 3am Sunday 1 September (NZT)
Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg
All Blacks v Springboks
Kick-off: 3am Sunday, 8 September
DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Live blog coverage on RNZ Sport
