EXCLUSIVE – All Blacks coach takes guest coach role in Japan

All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan is currently in Japan for a guest coach role with Leon MacDonald’s relegation-threatened Yokohama Canon Eagles, RugbyJP can exclusively reveal.

Ryan, who joined the All Blacks fold in 2022 under then-head coach Ian Foster, has joined Jesse Kriel-led Yokohama for two weeks. New Zealand Rugby is understood to be on the verge of naming a new head coach next week following Scott Robertson's departure in January.

The long-time former Crusaders assistant coach experienced his first League One game on Saturday when MacDonald’s team were beaten 53-31 by TJ Perenara’s rampant Black Rams Tokyo at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.

Ryan was kitted out in a Yokohama tracksuit top and shorts and was pitchside before the game.

Courtesy of NZR

The Kanagawa outfit has lost seven of their eight games with their only win coming against Steve Hansen and Foster’s basement side Toyota Verblitz a week ago.

Yokohama, who were play-off semi-finalists in 2024, axed former Suntory and Japan fly-half Keisuke Sawaki in the summer – ending his five-year reign at the club – after a disappointing eighth-place finish last season.

MacDonald, who left the All Blacks coaching team in 2024, has been without Springboks star Faf de Klerk who suffered an ankle injury in round one and is currently undergoing treatment in South Africa.

Italian lock Dino Lamb, one of the three permitted Category C players (capped by a country other than Japan), has not featured since 17 January while influential former Highlanders flanker Billy Harmon has also missed the last three rounds of the competition.

Yokohama's double World Cup winner Kriel in action on Saturday © JRLO

MacDonald has turned to his ex-All Blacks coaching colleague Ryan to try and help turn their season around with next week marking the halfway point of the season. His current coaching team includes former Kobe Steelers head coach Dave Dillon who led the Hyōgo Prefecture side – which then included Dan Carter - to Top League glory in 2018.

Yokohama returns to Chichibunomiya in round nine to face Sam Cane and Cheslin Kolbe’s fifth-placed Suntory Sungoliath.

Suntory defeated Graham Rowntree’s Urayasu D-Rocks 41-19 on Saturday with captain Cane and Kolbe both among the try scorers.

Yokohama has not officially announced Ryan’s short-term role with the club.

Stay tuned to RugbyJP.com for on-site coverage of Suntory v Yokohama next Sunday