Next All Blacks coach: New Zealand Rugby defends narrow criteria to replace Scott Robertson

New Zealand Rugby is confident its criteria for finding the next head coach of the All Blacks is not too narrow, interim chief executive Steve Lancaster says.

On Monday, approaching two weeks since Scott Robertson’s departure, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) released the criteria and process to find his replacement.

A five-strong panel – consisting of Lancaster, NZR chair David Kirk, high performance consultant Don Tricker, as well as two former All Blacks in Keven Mealamu and one still to be determined – will shortlist and interview candidates.

NZR’s board will have the final say as to who the successful candidate is.

Tellingly, the criteria states that candidates must have international experience as a head coach, and be a New Zealander.

However, those two criteria in conjunction with each other does leave just a handful of coaches who could fill the role, a list made even shorter by Joe Schmidt reportedly ruling himself out.

But for Lancaster, the search for the next All Blacks coach will come down to quality more than quantity.

“We’re very confident that there’s a very high-calibre group of eligible candidates out there, and that there will be significant interest in the role,” he said.

“When you look at the criteria for the role, you come to a pretty short list very quickly. Once we understand who, in fact, is putting their hand up for the role, we’ll determine what an appropriate shortlist is.

“The role and the opportunity speaks for itself. We’re confident that we’re not going to have to go out and sell this role.

“There will be people that see the opportunity for what it is. There will be a good group of candidates in the mix.”

No deadline has been placed on the search, but Lancaster says it will be undertaken with “the urgency and care it deserves”.

Highlanders and former Japan coach Jamie Joseph looms as one of the front-runners, but could face stiff competition from ex-Australia and Chiefs boss Dave Rennie, currently with Kobe Steelers.

Elsewhere, current Blues coach Vern Cotter could also loom as a candidate due to his experience coaching both Scotland and Fiji.

Even further afield, Warren Gatland and Wayne Pivac, both ex-Wales, and former Wallabies and Crusaders coach Robbie Deans meet the criteria.

Lancaster explained the test experience prerequisite comes down to the 2027 World Cup being less than two years away, and whoever succeeds Robertson will need to “hit the ground running”.

As was also said by NZR chair Kirk, any decisions over the All Blacks assistants will be decided by the next coach.

NZR’s long-standing policy of the All Blacks being coached by a Kiwi, though, will remain in place – for this cycle at least.

“This is the All Blacks. As a matter of principle, ideally we want a New Zealander coaching that team,” Lancaster said.

“We’re also really fortunate in New Zealand, we have an incredible amount of amazing coaches, coaching here in New Zealand and around the world.

“We don’t believe, at this point in time, we need to go outside New Zealand candidates.

“This is a point in time. One of the things I will say, is that when you’re in high performance in elite sport, is that what’s valid at one point in time doesn’t necessarily stay valid indefinitely.

“I’m always loath to make predictions about the future, but at this point in time, we believe we’ve got the right criteria for the role.”

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.