Steve Hansen, the next Lions coach? It’s a

Departing All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has been thrown up as a contender to be the next man in charge of the British and Irish Lions.

On Friday, Hansen announced he would be stepping down from his post at the end of the World Cup in Japan next year, and just what his next move will be, he said even he is unsure of.

One possibility which has been tossed about in the British press is that he could be an ideal candidate to lead the Lions’ next tour, to South Africa in 2021.

Writing in The Times, John Westerby anticipates Hansen possibly going into a consultancy role with an emerging nation such as Georgia, Samoa or Fiji, however he also sees a ‘‘mouthwatering possibility’’ in him leading the Lions.

‘‘[It’s] one which would enable him to remain active towards the top of the game, to work with some of the world’s leading players, without boosting the fortunes of one of the All Blacks’ rivals,’’ he writes.

That is seen as a key part of the idea, with Westerby noting England’s interim RFU chief executive Nigel Melville, when he next month begins the search for a successor to Eddie Jones, may consider sounding Hansen out.

‘‘In a sport dominated by a handful of nations, there are not enough coaches around with a successful international track record to overlook,’’ Westerby writes.

‘‘He would have his work cut out in persuading Hansen, not least because of the All Blacks’ preference for keeping their secrets safe when their former coaches are on the market.’’

‘‘In a sport dominated by a handful of nations, there are not enough coaches around with a successful international track record to overlook.’’ John Westerby, writing in The Times