”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.
”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 under way 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.”
Commenting on the two matches against Munster and Georgia, McMillan expects two tough encounters with both teams having the benefit of being in the middle of campaigns.
”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 match against Munster will be played in front of a crowd of 25,000 at Thomond Park in Limerick, while the Georgia test will see both teams play away from home at GGL Stadium in Montpellier.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) head of high performance Mike Anthony said: “These matches are an opportunity for our next tier of talent to experience different playing styles and get exposure to overseas touring.
”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 [Rugby World Cup] cycle.
Locally, both matches will be available to watch live on Sky Sport. Internationally, the All Blacks XV v Munster match is available to stream live and free on NZR+ in over 150 countries (excluding New Zealand, Ireland and the UK) and the All Blacks XV v Georgia is available to stream live and free on NZR+ in over 150 countries (excluding New Zealand and Georgia).
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
About the All Blacks XV
The All Blacks XV was launched as NZR’s next senior national men’s representative team after the All Blacks, as a critical high-performance pathway to the All Blacks.
As the next senior national representative side, the All Blacks XV will have the same high expectations as the other Teams in Black.
The All Blacks XV follows in the footsteps of similar teams which have assembled throughout New Zealand rugby’s history, including the Junior All Blacks, New Zealand A and Emerging Players.
– SunLive
