Steve Hansen has All Blacks job until end 2017

Robbie Deans " So you're saying, there is a chance?"

Correction: Gatland's first year as Welsh coach he won 6N, 1st year as Ireland coach he failed. I put the coaches in the following order to take over from Hansen:- 1) Schmidt 2) Cotter 3) Rennie 4) Gatland 5) Foster 6) Daylight 7) Bladdader, Kirwen, Joseph and anyone else not named Deans 8) More Daylight 9) Taihape Under 15 girls netball coach 10) More daylight 11) Assorted animals and insects 12) Robbie Deans

Great decision, shows we have matured in that we don't hang a coach on the result of a knockout tournament and about time too. I think the NZ rugby public generally feel the same way too, we used to go into mourning following a RWC loss (myself included), now if it happens it will still hurt but most of us realize life still goes on. A one-off game shouldn't define a career. Could hinge on a referee mistake..we have seen several games results this year adversely affected by poor refereeing I suspect if England ever loses an important knockout game at a RWC due to a poor referee performance there will be major changes introduced almost immediately. Actually, if you look around the world in all sports at knockout tournaments you will find that it is a very rare thing that the favourite team entering the tournament actually wins it. World Cup Football is a great example, how many times do the favourites get knocked out prior to the semis, quite often. Thats why knockout tournaments are popular, it gives more teams a chance to win, whereas a league type scenario only the best team wins. Then there are competitions that have both, a league with a knockout competition at the end such as S15 and NRL. Like our player depth we have some good coaching depth too. I am especially intrigued by how well Schmidt has Ireland playing, he has won the 6N and should have had Irelands first AB scalp. Gatland also started off his tenure with Ireland with a hiss and a roar before fading, so we will see if Schmidt can keep it going.If he performs consistently well, he will be the frontrunner to take over from Hansen. Schmidt and Cotter, like Hansen have never been Super head coaches, have been head coaches at ITM level and assistant coaches at Super level so they will be able to coach the AB's, possibly with or without some time as AB assistant coach. Those of you who suggest that Deans also has a chance, let me tell you...he has no chance at all, zero, none. NZRFU has a long memory, they didn't like him going off to coach the Aussies and they won't ever forget that.

It's that next 10% that we need a good coach for.

You fail to note that McKenzie "knows how to beat NZ teams" He should consider himself lucky that he get to play 27% of his total tests against teams he knows how to beat. Imagine how bad it could've been if it was against other teams ;)

I hope the NZRU adopt the measure of having the overseas coach be the NZ coach as well as a Super XV coach. ;)

I hope the NZRFU doesn't become a stick in the mud and insist the overseas coaches have to do a season of ITM or SXV first.

2 loses in 42 games, say it again!! Hard to believe some of the dribble posted earlier. Shag's only got 4 goals left to attain in rugby imo; 1. Win RWC '15 2. Win Lions '17 series 3. Keep Aussies hands off the Bledisloe 4. Hand the team over in fine shape when he's had enough. After that, well it'd have to be Sir Shag :-)

It's because Hansen is a Cantab. It's not patronising. It's parochialism. ;) I don't think Gatland strikes me as the person who would want the assistant's job. Not necessarily the case with Schmidt. I would've thought me wanting his services was a sign that I rate him. Head coach is not just a rugby coach. It takes time to learn the environment. Who better to guide him through that? That said, I like your picks for 2018. If they stay in the NH getting experience there so be it. Just make sure they come home!

Nicely summed up Rebel, my thoughts exactly.

often I laugh at the comments on the Roar - today i have pissed myself laughing. It is very clear that many contributors lack any business / Management skills.- completely lack them if some of the comments on this subject are anything to go by. The ARU appoints new coaches often at a moments notice, with the new coach having to tale over from the previous disaster and so on. Hansen did his 'apprenticeship' under Henry and Hansen's replacement will do the same. Unless the likes of Schmidt and Cotter get taken into the fold as assistance coaches by 2015 they'll have no chance. AND take it from a All Black Fan who lives and breaths Rugby, success in the RWC is NOT everything. Its the icing on the cake for every team, but i'd rather support a team with 2 losses in 4 games and no RWC as opposed to a RWC winning team with a 58% win ratio. Aussies would know the pain of losing 4 out of ten games - thats an average of 6 games EVERY YEAR. I think not.

Chicken or the egg. One may be the result of the other and vice versa. Too many passing opinions off as facts. I am happy with the succession plan as their will be a great player turnover next year, why compound it with coaching as well. Plus there is the Lions tour that this term ties in with. Seems like the only people outraged over the kiwi coaching appointments are non kiwis. Go figure.

"McKenzie’s record is somewhat dragged down by the fact that he coached 22 tests and 6 of these were against the all blacks. Any coach whose tenure spans the hardest tests of the calendar at the beginning and end of his tenure will show that." That equates to 27% of his total matches, as compared with Deans (24%) and Connolly (20%) - it's just a reality that Wallaby coaches are gonna have to play the AB's a lot.

Indicative, not authoritative.

Agree Eric the eel could get an 80% win ratio coaching the abs

Henry chucked the Welsh job in as soon as he saw the team start to struggle, smart career move. Hansen then took over and he could not get the team to function.

In what universe is going from 70% and not winning the 3 nats under Smith to 82% and going back to back in the 3 nats under Mitchell failure? No they didnt win the WC but neither did Henry and Hansen with a better squad until 8 years later by 1 point in NZ. The truth is that the ABs improved imensely under Mitchell and Deans and they only failed through politics not results. No not anyone could coach the ABs to success but this idea that ONLY Henry and Hansen could is the myth and imo its a ridiculous idea.

Yeah 82% is failure. Sheeesh reality realy does get in the way of some peoples fantasies. And yeah, lets get rid of Foster, for absolutely no reason.

You watch how fast they ditch the succession plan stuff when the ABs are not doing so well. The absolute brilliance of the ABs playing roster over the last 10 years has made the powers in NZ rugby think they have some seceret recipie but its no seceret, the team has been basically half of the world xv with arguably the 2 best players ever at the core.

Haha exactly. Thank you. Cheika is also one of the only coaches from super rugby to spend 5+ seasons in the NH. That certainly improves your chances.