Mac The Face of Rugby by McIntosh, Ian ; Bishop, John
Mac: The Face of Rugby
The Raw, Candid, and Compelling Chronicle of South African Rugby's Maverick Coaching Revolutionary
The Raw, Candid, and Compelling Chronicle of South African Rugby's Maverick Coaching Revolutionary
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Mac: The Face of Rugby
- Author: Ian McIntosh and John Bishop
- Publisher: Don Nelson Publishers, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 2000
- ISBN-10: 1868061906
- ISBN-13: 9781868061907
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Standard Trade Softcover Release.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium illustrated heavy-gauge card wrappers with high-gloss protective lamination (paperback).
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 256 pages. Generously enhanced with an exclusive central repository of high-contrast black-and-white and full-colour archival photographic plates mapping historical match campaigns.
- Language: English [1, 2, 3, 4]
Official Condition Report
-
The Book: Used - Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Wraps: The original softcover illustrated wrappers present in beautiful, highly presentable condition. The front and back cover panels remain uniform in color vibrancy and lay flat and square. Shows only minimal, microscopic signs of edge wear from standard retail sheltering. The spine is pristine, completely straight, uncreased, and unbroken, indicating a volume that has been well-maintained and looked after thus far.
- Interior: The text block is robustly bound, tight, and highly crisp. All 256 internal leaves are exceptionally clean, bright, and completely intact. Entirely free of standard user highlighting, underlying annotations, ex-libris library stamps, owner name inscriptions, or common dealer pencil marks. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued) [1]
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 2000, Mac: The Face of Rugby is the gripping, pull-no-punches autobiography of one of the most influential and fiercely independent coaches in South African rugby history: Ian McIntosh. Known as the first Springbok head coach of the modern era to come from the absolute "outside," McIntosh defied traditional structural rules—he was an English-speaking Zimbabwean who grew up near Bulawayo and had never played a single Test match for the national side. [1, 2, 3]
The narrative delivers a candid, first-hand account of a maverick coach who learned his craft in the 1970s under the legendary Welsh director Ray Williams, applying those revolutionary tactical ideas to South African turf. McIntosh became a household name after guiding the long-suffering Natal team to their legendary first-ever Currie Cup title in 1990—their centenary year. This unprecedented domestic dominance propelled him to the head coach position of the Springboks during the high-stakes, crisis-ridden years of early post-isolation repatriation. Writing with his trademark direct approach, "Mac" reveals the inside story behind his infamous sacking in mid-1994 following a brutal series defeat to the All Blacks in New Zealand, right before Kitch Christie took over the reins for the historic 1995 World Cup. This scarce collectible copy is a vital used collectible book that serves as an essential primary historical record of locker-room revolutions and boardroom politics. [1, 2]
Author Profile: Ian McIntosh & John Bishop
Ian McIntosh (1938–2023) was a legendary Zimbabwean-South African rugby union coach, selection guru, and a recipient of the IRB Chairman’s Award for his lifetime service to the sport. Renowned for his iconic "1000-yard stare" on the technical bench, his tactical devotion to direct, high-pressure rugby transformed the standard patterns of the game. Spanning a monumental 15-year legacy with Natal and the Sharks alongside his Springbok tenure, his revolutionary vision permanently reshaped South Africa's modern professional coaching blueprints. [1, 2, 3, 4]
John Bishop is a highly distinguished South African sports journalist, rugby columnist, and veteran broadcaster. Having covered the evolution of South African rugby for broadsheets and media houses across multiple decades, Bishop spent years reporting directly from the sidelines of Loftus Versfeld and Kings Park. His deep personal and professional familiarity with McIntosh's career allows him to shape these memoirs with exceptional narrative pacing, tactical clarity, and absolute journalistic accuracy.
ian mcintosh mac the face of rugby used collectible book rare rugby books south africa john bishop don nelson 2000 softcover springboks biography natal sharks currie cup history 9781868061907 #
