By Priscilla Jepchumba
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced that Clayton McMillan will lead an All Blacks XV on a November tour to Europe. Jamie Mackintosh, David Hill, and Cory Jane will assist McMillan as coaches for the All Blacks XV’s matches against Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick on November 2 and against Georgia at the GGL Stadium in Montpellier on November 10.
Commenting on the opportunity to work with the All Blacks assistants, McMillan said, “It’s great to have three highly regarded Assistants in David, Jamie and Cory. Cory and Jamie had a great season with the Hurricanes in Super Rugby Pacific, while David has been with the All Blacks for several seasons so to have his knowledge and understanding of that environment is critical”.
McMillan has a strong coaching background, having previously served as the Assistant coach for the All Blacks in 2022. Following this, he took on the role of head coach for the Gallagher Chiefs in 2023, where he achieved an impressive record of 10 victories.
Before this, he also held coaching positions within clubs in Wellington and the Bay of Plenty region. McMillan takes over as the head coach of the All Blacks XV, succeeding Leon MacDonald. MacDonald stepped down from his position as an All Blacks assistant coach in August.
McMillan expressed his excitement about working with a team that is beginning to establish its own legacy and emphasized the value of collaborating with different coaches and players. He also highlighted the expertise of his assistant coaches.
“The ability to work with different coaches and players is hugely valuable, and the team will be exposed to different levels and styles of rugby up north,” said McMillan, adding, “Preparations are well underway for the tour north, I spent last week with the All Blacks to see how they operate and had some good discussions around selections for the All Blacks XV with the squad announcement coming next week.”
McMillan anticipates challenging matches against Munster and Georgia, acknowledging the competitive nature of both teams. NZR’s head of high performance, Mike Anthony, sees these matches as an opportunity for the next tier of talent to gain exposure to different playing styles and overseas touring.
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