Africa-Press – South-Africa. To the broader rugby community, Ian McIntosh was arguably the most progressive rugby thinker during the South African game’s arduous and belated shift to professionalism, an innovator of world renown.
Yet, Rudolf Straeuli hopes the legacy of the charismatic 84-year-old “Mac”, who died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, isn’t overshadowed by his supreme insights.
“Look, he was a brilliant thinker of the game. There’s no doubt about that,” the Lions chief and former Sharks and Springbok head coach told News24.
“But what stood out for me is that Ian was a player’s coach. He breathed interpersonal relationships.”
Straeuli was exposed to that virtue firsthand in mid-1994, when he was selected for the Springboks’ tour to New Zealand and made a memorable Test debut in Dunedin, being brilliantly on hand to round off Andre Joubert’s superb break and score his side’s only try in a 14-22 loss.
“I’ll naturally always be grateful to Ian for granting me my first taste of international rugby. Yet, what will always stay with me is how he fought tooth-and-nail for his players,” he said.
“He was the quintessential people’s person, a compassionate man who taught us to balance life and the game. I don’t want to go into detail about the, let’s say, rugby politics of that tour, but I will say that Mac stood by us as players until the end.
“And it was he who took the fall.”
Indeed, McIntosh was dismissed as national coach after being in charge for little over a year with a win record of just 33.3% (4 wins out of 12) but was later hailed for the groundwork he had laid for his successor, Kitch Christie, who would go on to win the World Cup the following year.
He returned to Durban to guide the Sharks to two further Currie Cup titles (he ended with four) and three consecutive Super Rugby playoffs, including 1996’s inaugural final.
“When I came to the city (Durban) to start coaching, Mac was a real inspiration. I actively took his template in terms of dealing with players and applied it to my own – that’s how amazing he was with people,” said Straeuli.
“I’ll never forget that. My condolences goes to Rona, his wife, and his family. He was a great man.”
Meanwhile, former Lions mentor and Springbok assistant coach Swys de Bruin raved over the “privilege for me to state unequivocally that Mac was a legend”.
De Bruin had cut his teeth as coach at schools level in the Durban region before becoming intimately involved with the Sharks’ junior structures, an experience that formed him into the respected thinker he is nowadays.
“Where do I start? When I think about Mac, the first thing that comes up is him being a mentor and legend,” he told News24.
“My small office was actually right next to him at Kings Park and I was also intently listening to his discussions, always tapping into his knowledge. Mac was definitely ahead of his time in terms of his rugby insights, he was the man who essentially pioneered direct rugby. Many of the principles I apply in my coaching today still are what I learnt from him.”
One quirk that’s fondly remembered by him and others is McIntosh’s expressive eyes.
“He was an amazing person, so charismatic. In fact, for all his serious insights on the game, you’ll never forget his passion, passion and, for a last time, passion. Those wild eyes were so indicative,” De Bruin said with a chuckle.
Deeply religious himself, De Bruin found inspiration too in McIntosh’s faith.
“It was a huge shock to hear of his passing this morning. But I’m also comforted. He was a devout Christian and when I ran into him at an airport a few years ago he told me: ‘God is in control, so I’m fine Swys.’
“That’s something that will stay with me for a very long time. Condolences to his wife Rona, son Craig and the rest of the family.”
Nick Mallett, the Springboks’ most successful coach of the professional era in terms of win percentage (71%), has little hesitation hailing McIntosh as the colleague he respected the most.
“It’s terribly sad. Mac is the guy I respected the most as a rugby coach in South Africa upon my return from France back in 2003,” he told News24.
“His Natal teams were always well-drilled ahead of any match, their game strategy was ahead of its time. Mac himself was innovative, forward-thinking, unbelievably motivational and incredibly passionate.
“I respected all those aspects of his persona and loved it too.”
Following his retirement, McIntosh was heavily involved with the SA Rugby Legends organisation and continued to plough back into the game at grassroots level.
Unsurprisingly, he and Mallett’s respective pedigrees made them an irresistible panel pairing for discussions about the code.
“He absolutely loved rugby. We had a lot of chats and over a period of 15 years did a lot of talks together. He particularly enjoyed being an MC and it fitted him so well because he was so knowledgeable, he asked great questions,” said Mallett.
“Often irreverent, he enjoyed taking the p*ss out of people at times and had a lovely sense of humour. He became a good friend. Everyone who knew him will miss him.”
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