‘A John Key moment’: Shaky time for coaches

fellow new assistant Joe Schmidt.

Offering a congratulatory handshake to scrum coach Greg Feek standing alongside him, Schmidt then went to do likewise with Ryan, seated in front of him.

However, after Ryan turned and got Feek’s hand first, he then left attack coach Schmidt hanging, even brushing his fingers as he turned back round in his chair.

Schmidt then provided a pat on the back instead, though even that wasn’t enough to get a handshake out of Ryan, who fessed up yesterday to his inaccuracy at the set-piece, and noted he had quickly been got back for it.

‘‘I didn’t realise Joe was there,’’ he sheepishly said, hosing down any sort of speculation there was a rift in the coaching team just six weeks into their partnership.

‘‘He missed me twice this morning, actually, in the coaches’ meeting, on purpose.

‘‘She’s all good with Joe, and I just didn’t see him in my sight there – it was a bit of a John Key moment, wasn’t it,’’ Ryan said in reference to the former prime minister’s famous three-way handshake at the 2011 Rugby World Cup presentation with then All Blacks captain Richie Mccaw and then IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset. Ryan wasn’t alone in handshake dramas on Saturday night, with just a few minutes later Pumas No 8 Pablo Matera and Dane Coles having their own issues, with the Argentinian opting to shove the All Blacks reserve hooker as the teams traded pleasantries after the game.

Ryan, who coached Matera during his stint at the Crusaders this year, was surprised to see such a reaction from the 29-yearold former national team skipper.

‘‘I’m not sure what happened there,’’ he said of an incident which was seemingly sparked by a scuffle and words between the pair late in the contest.

‘‘But Pablo was in the [All Blacks’] shed afterwards, and it’s pretty out of character for him, to be fair.

‘‘But I’m sure they’ll move on. They’re both competitive men.’’