Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan has been named head coach of the All Blacks XV for their upcoming Northern Tour, with Jamie Mackintosh, David Hill and Cory Jane joining him as assistant coaches.
The All Blacks XV, launched as the next step in New Zealand’s high-performance rugby pathway, followsin the footsteps of teams like the Junior All Blacks and New Zealand A, ensuring the nation’s future stars are ready for the international stage.
The All Blacks XV will face two challenging matches on the tour:
v Munster, November 3, 6.30am (NZDT) at Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland.
v Georgia, November 11, 2am (NZDT) at GGL Stadium, Montpellier, France.
McMillan, who currently leads the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific, is excited about the opportunity to shape the team’s legacy and had high praise for his coaching team.
“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,” McMillan said in a statement from New Zealand Rugby. “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. 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 is expecting two tough games, particularly with both Munster and Georgia deep into their seasons.
“Munster is sold out, so it’ll be a fantastic atmosphere in front of 25,000 fans. Georgia are no pushovers either – they pushed Australia [40-29] and beat Japan [25-23] recently, so we’re expecting a real battle.”
NZR head of high-performance Mike Anthony says these matches offer emerging talent exposed to different styles of rugby and the chance to play overseas.
“Clayton and his coaching team bring a wealth of experience from Super Rugby, and this tour aligns well with the All Blacks’ high-performance pathway as we head into a new World Cup cycle.”
Fans in New Zealand can watch both matches live on Sky Sport.
