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Clayton McMillan named All Blacks XV head coach for Europe tour
By Ned Lester
Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan has been named the 2024 All Blacks XV coach for the team's European tour, set to take place in early November.
McMillan, who has led the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Rugby Pacific final appearances, succeeds Leon MacDonald in the role after acting as his assistant in the All Blacks XV environment in both 2022 and 2023.
He will be joined by fellow Chiefs coach David Hill as attack coach and Hurricanes coaching duo Jamie Mackintosh as forwards coach and Cory Jane as defence coach.
“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. It’s great to have three highly regarded Assistants in David, Jamie and Cory," McMillan said.
“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.”
The All Blacks XV will face Munster on November 2 at Thomond Park, Limerick, before heading to Montpellier to face Georgia on November 10 (local time).
“Munster is sold out, so we’re set for a great match up in front of passionate fans there and Georgia is a competitive team, they came close to Australia (40-29) and beat Japan (25-23) in July so we’re expecting an intense clash.”
The 2024 tour will be the All Blacks XV's third after travelling to the UK and Japan in their opening two campaigns. The importance of the side was highlighted by New Zealand Rugby's Head of High Performance Mike Anthony.
“These matches are an opportunity for our next tier of talent to experience different playing styles and get exposure to overseas touring," Anthony said.
“Clayton has been with the programme since its inception and he and the wider coaching team bring a broad range of experience from different Super Rugby environments. I look forward to working with them and the All Blacks XV management team as we continue to build depth of talent.
"The alignment with the All Blacks is also a critical piece as we commence a new RWC cycle."
The All Blacks XV team will be named alongside the All Blacks' 36-man Nothern Tour squad next Monday.
All Blacks XV 2024 Management Team
Head Coach – Clayton McMillan
Forwards Coach – Jamie Mackintosh
Attack Coach – David Hill
Defence Coach – Cory Jane
Team Manager – Martyn Vercoe
Strength and Conditioning Coach – Brad Mayo
Performance Analyst – Adam Foy
Team Doctor – Theo Dorfling
Team Physio – Neil Tucker
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