KEY POINTS:
Assistant All Black coach Steve Hansen should decide whether he wants to be at the helm of the All Blacks or the Crusaders - not both.
While Hansen feels he could handle the dual portfolios of the All Blacks and the Crusaders, coaching opportunities are already too limited
for top practitioners in New Zealand.
Hansen yesterday confirmed he wants to succeed Robbie Deans at the Crusaders and, if successful, also hopes to continue his role as forwards coach with the All Blacks.
"I've put my name in the hat and I'm in discussions with both, mainly with the New Zealand Rugby Union, to establish whether they're happy with me to do both roles," Hansen said yesterday.
Before Deans left to take up his post as the Wallabies coach, he offered the view that his deputy, Mark Hammett, was extremely well-qualified to win promotion as head coach at the Crusaders. Hansen confirmed a Herald story yesterday that he has added his name to the applicants for the Crusaders' job, an approach he would surely not have taken without prior approval from the NZRFU.
The Herald understands that Hansen may team up with former Crusaders skipper and Tasman coach Todd Blackadder in a move which would appease those not so enamoured with the All Black assistant coach.
Given the lack of top jobs in New Zealand, it seems unusual the NZRFU has approved the chance of Hansen having a dual coaching role. Maybe there is more to come.
If Hansen is chosen to head up the next Crusaders campaign, perhaps he will then decide to drop out of the All Blacks coaching triumvirate or will be encouraged to do so by the NZRU.
The Herald understands that Hansen believes his best path to becoming the next All Black coach is to separate himself from the current regime, to build his coaching record before applying to succeed Henry after the 2011 World Cup.
Hansen's strongest ally in the latest manoeuvrings is probably NZRFU chief executive Steve Tew who was a huge ally of Hansen when they were both at working with Canterbury and the Crusaders.
Greg Somerville also plans a career change.
There are at least six reasons why Somerville's confirmed exit to Gloucester should persuade the All Black selectors to bypass the prop for the end-of-year tour.
Somerville will leave with the record as the most-capped prop in All Black history in what has been a remarkable career since his elevation to the top ranks in 2000.
The 30-year-old had some of the slimmest calves in All Black history but his power-to-weight ratio, strong technique and iron-will has made him an invaluable prop for the Canterbury, Crusaders and All Black squads.
But the departure of "Yoda", as revealed last week in the Herald, means the All Black selectors will need another prop to start learning the rudiments of international rugby as a progression towards the next World Cup.
Taking Somerville on the All Blacks tour will deny valuable learning experience to one of the new breed trying to make their way into the national squad.
This year, the All Blacks selectors have identified Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata, John Afoa, John Schwalger and Ben Franks as the best props aside from Somerville - five compelling reasons why they should be inspected for the end of year trip.
Nick Evans makes six. He was the next best five-eighths behind Daniel Carter but, you suspect, Evans was ignored for the All Blacks because he revealed he was off to play in the UK.
If the All Black selectors chose to ignore Evans to groom Stephen Donald, then they should certainly pick another prop instead of Somerville for the end of year trip.
Somerville began his rugby career in Wairoa in the Hawkes Bay before he was identified by the talent scouts of Canterbury and headed south to embellish his talents.
He is in the celebrated club who have played more than 100 games for the Crusaders and leaves with the All Blacks propping record despite missing more than a year of rugby after tearing his achilles tendon in 2006 at Pretoria in South Africa.
There were complications with his recovery and Somerville only just made it to the World Cup where he played against Portugal and Romania.
But with Carl Hayman's decision to go offshore Somerville has resumed his tenure in the No 3 jersey.
When he leaves, there will be all sorts of valedictory messages.
None better though than the idea that Somerville left on his terms, after giving fantastic service to New Zealand rugby but still in his prime to deliver great value to his Gloucester employers.
"Every once in a while, a player turns up with all the attributes required to be a top professional; selfless, hard-working, athletic, mentally and physically tough, skilful, passionate and possessing an unrelenting desire to win," Canterbury coach Rob Penney explained.
Touché.
