Hansen open to chat with Schmidt
Ordering a couple of pints of Guinness might be a fine way for Joe Schmidt to start this conversation.
Or maybe he could request some flat whites and wafers. If the Kiwi coach of Ireland wants to ask All Blacks counterpart Steve Hansen whether he should return to New Zealand to look for a coaching job, all he has to do is call a time and date.
Schmidt could be a man in demand over the coming months. He is yet to declare whether he wants to remain as Ireland coach after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, promising to let his employers know before Christmas.
If Schmidt says he wants to snip his ties with Ireland, who he has coached since 2013, he is likely to be smothered with job offers from clubs and other countries from all points of the atlas.
Former All Blacks skipper Richie Mccaw also did Schmidt a big favour by spruiking his talents recently, indicating he would be the ideal replacement for Hansen if the latter decides to vacate his All Blacks job after the World Cup.
Hansen, when asked if Schmidt should consider relocating to New Zealand for work, wasn’t going to get bogged down in a discussion in a public forum.
‘‘If I did have some advice for him I wouldn’t be telling him through the media,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘So if he needs my advice on that he will ask me over a cold beer or a cup of coffee.
‘‘He is a smart man, Joe, and will do what is right for his family. I am sure he will make a decision based around those things, like all of us will.’’
If Hansen declares he doesn’t want to extend his contract with NZ Rugby, speculation around who should replace him will be intense.
Assistant coach Ian Foster has already said he would be keen to have a crack at the top job, and given he has been embedded in the All Blacks coaching set-up for the past seven years he would be a genuine candidate.
If Schmidt was interested in the All Blacks job, he would surely be on the short list. His achievements with Ireland include beating the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016, and the Irish are also the current Six Nations champions as well as being second in the World Rugby rankings behind the All Blacks.
It is expected the Irish, as they often do under Schmidt, will perform like men possessed when they meet the All Blacks at Aviva Stadium on Sunday morning. Hansen is picking that will be the case.
‘‘I know Ireland will be a better team when they play us, because everyone seems to find another 10 per cent,’’ Hansen said.
‘‘Because it is a good story if you can beat the All Blacks, and everyone gets excited by that.
‘‘So that in itself will bring a lot more intensity to the game.’’