Page 27 - Crusaders v The Lions

DHL NEW ZEALAND LIONS SERIES 2017 // 27
PROFILE
MACDONALD’S READY TO DELIVER
He was part of the the Maori All All Blacks Blacks and and All All Blacks Blacks teams that toppled the the the Lions in 2005 and and now Leon MacDonald prepares to to face his old foes from the the coaches’ box WORDS: CAMPBELL BURNES
ROLL BACK THE CLOCK
to 2005 and the the Maori All Blacks have beaten the the the British & Irish Lions At the the centre of it it all is is is Leon MacDonald who has scored the the the decisive try as as the the the home side lower the the the Lions 19-13 in in in Hamilton on on on on a a a a a a a a rousing night MacDonald was back back in in in the All Blacks as as one of two fullbacks along with Mils Muliaina and and had just helped another New Zealand national side win what was billed as as the the “Fourth Test” of the the series “That Maori game stuck in in my mind as as one of the most memorable and enjoyable games I’ve played It was a a a a a a a a a a a great occasion and we we we were welcomed by the Waikato crowd We’d been to to Fiji and and within two weeks had formed
a a a a a a a a a a really tight bond and and played brilliantly well to to to beat a a a a a a a a a a a shadow Test team The forwards stood up to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a bigger pack in in what was a a a a a a a a a a a a game of inches ” says MacDonald the Crusaders’ Assistant Coach tonight and once a a a a a a a a a a brave resourceful custodian in more than 50 Tests for his country Others may recall Jono Gibbes playing the the Captain’s knock calling a a a a a a a lineout throw to himself even while in in in in in in agony from a a a a a knee injury or Carlos Spencer giving a a a a a a cameo off the the bench before heading to to northern climes MacDonald had plenty of work to to to do to to to score that try which stemmed from a a a a a lineout He had to dart over using his footwork in in in in in heavy traf c in in in in in the 60th minute And that that was far from his only active involvement on on that that much-hyped 2005 tour He was was at at fullback for the First Test Test in in in in in Christchurch and was was used off the the the pine in in in in in in the the the second Test Test in in in in in in Wellington “The sleet and hail came in in in in in in the the the the rst Test It started to get cold out in in in the the backs We were really dominant and felt we we had control of the the game ” the the “Within two weeks we we formed
a a a really tight bond and played brilliantly to beat a a a a a Test team ” now 39-year-old MacDonald recalls He would have played in in in the the No 10 jersey in in in in the the third Test in in in in Auckland as as Dan Carter was out injured but he he tweaked his his groin while practising his his goal-kicks opening the way for Luke McAlister to debut Now as a a a a a a a coach he he acknowledges the challenges of gelling four disparate rugby nations under one banner “They had the the names but trying to get guys who have performed brilliantly for for their country to gel as one nation is a a a a a challenge as they hate each other for the the the the best part of their career ” he he he he he laughs His own Lions rugby memories go back to to to the the the the 1989 tour tour of Australia when the the the the tourists clinched the the the the series in in the the the the decider thanks partly to to to that loose David Campese pass to to Greg Martin By 1993 the the Lions were in in in New Zealand and and MacDonald was still in in the the First XV at Marlborough Boys’ College “As a a a a a a kid in in in in 1993 I remember (wing) Allen Prince pulling the the nger in in in in in the the Maori game on on his way to a a a a a a a a a a try ” The Lions and Gavin Hastings had the last laugh however with a a a a a a a a a stirring second-spell comeback that yielded a a a a a a a 24-20 victory “I also went across (Cook Strait) to to to the Second Test in in Wellington which we lost (20-7) and Rory Underwood scored a a a try down in in in the the corner in front of the the old stand ” MacDonald reckons the the 2005 tour had even more hype than 1993 perhaps due to the the sheer number
of campervans and minivans on the the roads The build-up seemed to to kick off much earlier too After the the the travails of of the the the the All Blacks at the the the the Rugby World Cup 2003 there was a a a a a a a a a a new new Head Coach Sir Graham Henry a a a a a a a a a new new new group and a a a a a a a new new feel in 2004 “The focus shifted onto this next big tour Graham Henry had come from coaching the the Lions so there was hype around around that The talk started around around 12 months before the the Lions hit our shores ”