NEW ZEALAND

Up close and personal with Leon MacDonald

Wednesday 26th March 2008

No fear: Leon MacDonald

With the Super 14 approaching the half-way mark and the six-time Super Rugby champion Crusaders punishing anything that moves in their path, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to catch up with one of the players leading the way in the team's thirteenth Crusade.

Leon MacDonald, a veteran of eleven Super Rugby campaigns, is a versatile and cool-headed backline extraordinaire who has electric pace and timing that can still rip up the best defences in the game.

Since returning from club rugby in Japan with Yamaha in 2004, MacDonald has become a regular for the All Blacks, Canterbury and the Crusaders.

Known as "Rangi" by his team-mates, he is also an able goal-kicking back-up to Dan Carter.

Only five players have recorded more Rugby World Cup conversions than MacDonald's total of 20 and at one point he successfully kicked 16 consecutive kicks at goal.

Making his debut for the Crusaders at the tender age of 19, MacDonald was plucked from Marlborough by current All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith. He soon showed his class and had many older players wondering who this young talent was.

Eleven years on and the youngest ever Crusader is now the longest-serving player among the men in red and black's current cast.

This year's Round One Super 14 match against the Brumbies saw him become just the fifth Crusader to reach the coveted figure of 100 career appearances for the franchise.

At 30-years of age, MacDonald is no spring chicken, but is currently enjoying the best form of his career and is fast becoming one of the greats to have donned the number fifteen jersey in his 51 Tests for the All Blacks.

With a break in his hectic training schedule, MacDonald took some time out to speak with Planet Rugby on his rugby highs, his lows and everything else in between.

PR: Greetings Mr MacDonald, can we call you Leon? Or would you prefer "Rangi"?

LM: (Laughs) Leon's good, mate. How you guys doing?

PR: No complaints thanks "Rangi", I mean Leon! (After a death stare from the deceptively big Crusaders' centurion - we decide to quickly press on).This is now your twelfth Super Rugby Crusade and the last for coach Robbie Deans [Off to lend his coaching skills in Australia with the national team]. You and your team-mates must be wanting to send him off on a high note?

LM: I haven't really spoken about it, but I know a couple of guys would really like to send Robbie off on a good note. For myself, it's just more motivation to win the title really. He's been such a great help and has done an unbelievable job with the Crusaders, it would be a shame if he didn't leave on a high.

PR: Since making your Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders way back in 1997, joining the 100 club against the Brumbies in Round One must have been something to tell the grandchildren about?

LM: Yeah, it was a special game and it's certainly been a long time coming. I've been very lucky playing under one of the most successful coaches in world rugby. Robbie played a major part in my development and just being part of this team for over one hundred games is really neat.

PR: At 30 years old, your performances can best be compared to a bottle of red wine that just gets better with age. Do you think you are in your vintage year?

LM: Mentally yes, physically it's becoming harder to get out of bed in the morning! But I'm still really enjoying myself and love playing for the Crusaders and it's a great rugby culture to be in - on and off the field. We've become really tight over the last few years and play for each other rather than ourselves.

PR: And it shows! So as one of the senior members of the squad (PR notes to choose its words carefully) not too much flak from the side's younger crew is getting thrown towards yourself and the other old man Reuben Thorne in the team then is it?

LM: (Laughs) No, not too much (Looks over his shoulder at centre Stephen Brett) at least none that I'm aware of. They're pretty respectful when I think about it. It probably won't last long though! But we have a good bunch of young guys and older blokes who all gel together nicely.

PR: We know how successful you've been for club and country alike, but moving on to your playing days outside of New Zealand, where in 2004, you took some time to ply your business in Japan - why did you go?

LM: Because I had been playing since 1997, I started to accumulate a few injuries which led to a wee bit of frustration and guess I just needed a break. At the time I wasn't very happy where I was as a player and wanted to experience playing overseas for a year. It gave me a chance to take a step back and take in a different rugby environment and a new lease on life.

PR: It seems to have really worked out well for you.

LM: Yeah it did. I don't know if I would still be playing today if I didn't have a little bit of a break half way through. My trip to Japan is probably one of the main reasons why I've managed to make 100 games for the Crusaders.

PR: It seems half of New Zealand's rugby players feel the same way you do - though money may be the main motivating factor to leave. What are your thoughts on the mass player exodus taking place in All Black country?

LM: It's nothing new, we've had players leave New Zealand for a long time now and fortunately we have a lot of young guys coming through. But it's all going to catch up eventually. We can't ignore it and it is a problem. The sad thing is that only 22 guys can play for the All Blacks, but there are 150 people in New Zealand who want that place. So it's a disappointment when you see players go overseas leaving all that they had achieved behind. All those guys making more money lose out on All Black selection. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself: "What do I want more?"

PR: With the 2011 Rugby World Cup taking place in New Zealand - how do you rate your chances of playing in four years time? You're not over the hill yet, Leon!

LM: Whoa! 2011 is still a long, long way away. It's hard work if you keep on looking that far ahead. At the moment I'm just really excited about this campaign with the Crusaders for obvious reasons and I just want to play an important role. A lot of the guys - myself included - need a good run in this competition after what happened at the World Cup.

PR: You brought it up! What the hell happened over there?

LM: Well, we lost. It's a game, you win some and you lose some. At the end of the day we didn't play as well as we wanted to and the French put in a reasonably good performance.

PR: Another team that put in a good performance was Argentina, who did tremendously well to come third overall in the tournament. Do you think it's a good idea for the Argies to play with the big boys in the Tri-Nations?

LM: I think Argentina are an exceptional team. They have a good game plan and more importantly, they stick to it. Over recent years, they have become incredibly tough to beat. I think the only problem of bringing them into the Tri-Nations is that they are only going to get better, so it's probably best to keep them away! But seriously, they are a really good team and will no doubt hold their own if they play in the Tri-Nations.

PR: You said your main focus was all about winning the Super 14 with the Crusaders, how many more years have you got in Super Rugby?

LM: That's a tricky one to answer. It's just a case of taking it year by year I guess. I'm still really enjoying my rugby in New Zealand, and it's only when you're not having a good time that you start weighing up other options.

PR: We've mentioned your fine form for the Crusaders in 2008 - what would you attribute that to? Or does a magician never reveal his tricks? We won't tell Cory Jane (Hurricanes full-back and MacDonald's opposite number on Friday) we swear!

LM: (Long pause) I'm not too sure really! It's still early days and I have a long season ahead of me. I want to be playing well if we hit the finals, that will be the key time of year to perform. Don't get me wrong, it's good to start well, but it's important that you are consistent throughout the year. I'm lucky I have my family which means I've got a good balance outside of rugby. It means when I'm finished with my rugby, I can get away and leave everything what happened in a match on the field. I think over the years, I've learnt not to dwell too hard at what's at stake and approach the game with a more enthusiastic approach.

PR: The new Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) introduced in this year's Super 14 has been met with mixed reviews. How are you finding them?

LM: I'm really enjoying them. The game isn't that much different really. There's a lot of talk about how the game has changed, but the only real difference is the 5 metres back rule from the scrum. That's pretty noticeable. The rest of the game is pretty much the same. But five metres just gives teams more momentum on attack. The fans are watching a lot faster and more open game, so it's already a positive start. It definitely suits the Crusaders style of playing and mine especially.

PR: You don't need to tell us twice, Leon! But what about the switch back to the old laws come the June tests - that's going to be a bit of a nightmare don't you think? I mean, the poor props!

LM: It's going to be interesting, but to be fair there's only a couple of law changes that you have to revert back to. It will be odd for a little while - maybe in the first week - but we adapted really quickly to them and I think we'll be able to adapt back pretty quickly as well.

PR: Easy for you to say, you're not a prop! But moving swiftly along, you've been fortunate to celebrate more wins than losses in your rugby career. What's your poison after a win?

LM: I find it hard to sleep at night after a match, so I find a beer after a hard game with the guys is the best remedy for it.

PR: Duly noted. Any traditions or strange superstitions before a big game?

LM: Not really, we're pretty much all left to our own accord before the game, but the guys have to meet up an hour or two before kick-off. Up until then, everyone does their own thing. But afterwards we like to go back to the hotel and have a couple of quiet beers and wind down.

PR: Best stadium to play in? And no, you can't say the Crusaders' AMI Stadium.

LM: I was speaking to Richie (McCaw) about this the other day actually. I love the South African stadiums. Pretoria is a good venue when you can keep the Loftus Versfeld crowd quiet in the second half. That always feels nice, but I'd have to say Twickenham.

PR: Best country to visit, I take it Wales has been scratched off your list?

LM: Again, I always enjoy visiting South Africa - Cape Town and Durban especially. But it's a toss up between South Africa and maybe France.

PR: Best opposition to play against?

LM: Perhaps from a Crusaders point of view, one of the highlights would be the match against the Bulls in Round Two of this year's Super 14. To topple them over in their own backyard is always a mean feat and something we are really proud of. We always look forward to big challenges like that. A local derby such as the Crusaders versus the Blues is always a good one for us too. It's always nice to beat the Blues in a New Zealand derby.

PR: And as an All Black? Which international fixture gets the blood boiling?

LM: There are many, but I think the clashes with South Africa are always huge. And of course there's always the Bledisloe Cup matches with Australia that are massive for us. But I think against South Africa, it's almost more of a traditional rivalry more than anything else and to be able to beat them in their own country is always a big challenge as it doesn't happen very often.

PR: Erm, you'd be surprised Leon. You guys are better than you think when it comes to playing on South African soil!

LM: (Laughs) Yeah, we're not too bad I guess.

PR: What about the players on the field - who's your opposite number you fear the most?

LM: There's never any fear, mate. Full-back is a bit funny because you don't necessarily come head to head with your opposite number as much as a prop would for instance. But playing against Christian Cullen was always a memorable match. I used to learn a lot from him, he was the world's best in my opinion.

PR: And on the international scene? Which player makes you think twice before making a move? Note we didn't mention the word 'fear'.

LM: I'm not too sure - I normally look at the first-fives (fly-halves) because they're the ones that tend to kick you around a bit.

PR: Hmmm.... Jonny Wilkinson?

LM: No, not really! Any other suggestions?

PR: Sorry Leon, I could name a dozen fly-halves but I have a funny feeling none of them will pose any real threat to you.

And on that note, we left Leon 'No Fear' MacDonald to get back to the hotel bar, I mean, the Crusaders' training session to work on his forearm muscles..

The undefeated Crusaders take on the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday.

By Dave Morris