Glasgow Warriors have received a much needed boost ahead of their run in towards the RaboDirect Pro12 play-offs with the signing of All Black flanker Angus Macdonald.
With supporters up in arms since last week's announcement ahead of this vital sequence of matches that Sean Lineen, the club's head coach, had been sacked, it is ironic that one of his parting gifts will be to sign a player of such similar provenance.
Like Lineen, the 31-year-old is an Aucklander and the son of an All Black who himself went on to play international rugby, earning one of his two caps against Scotland in 2005 having impressed selectors with a fine performance in the New Zealand Maoris' win over a British & Irish Lions squad whose forwards were coached by Andy Robinson.
He brings vast experience, having been part of the Blues squad which won the Super 12 title in 2003, going on to captain the franchise and he has spent the last four years in Japan, playing for Toyota Verblitz and Coca Cola West Red Sparks.
His recruitment, along with the previously announced signing of Tongan World Cup No.8 Viliami Ma'afu increases the likelihood that John Barclay as well as Johnnie Beattie will leave the club but, overall, it looks like being a much strengthened squad that Lineen leaves behind.
"Angus is a big, tough rawbone Kiwi who I'm convinced the supporters and other players will love," said Lineen. "He meets all the criteria: hard working, uncompromising, honest and can play a bit as well.
"We've been talking to him for a while, and it's clear he's the right sort of player for this club, and the right sort of person too. He's desperate to come here, which is exactly the attitude you want to see from a prospective signing."
That eagerness to play in Scotland is partly explained by his heritage since, as his name suggests, his family history is intertwined with Scotland.
His father Hamish won at Murrayfield on his second All Black appearance on their 1972/73 tour and emerged as a winner again when Scotland played their first Test in New Zealand in 1976, while his uncle Doug Bruce was the influential stand-off on the All Blacks' first grand slam-winning tour of the British Isles in 1978.
"I'm really happy to have signed for Glasgow Warriors and excited by the opportunity of playing for a club where there's a concerted effort to achieve success," said Macdonald yesterday.
"Since this move became a possibility, I've been keeping a close eye on how the team have been performing in the RaboDirect PRO12, and it's clear they've got a tremendous spirit and sense of purpose in what they do.
"They've got every chance of making the play-offs and they've recruited and retained a good number of players, so it's a positive environment to be coming into.
"The aim will be to use everything I've learned in the southern hemisphere to bring my own influence to the table. My overriding feeling right now is one of real anticipation. It's a great new challenge for me and one I can't wait to get stuck into."
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