Schmidt could take over New Zealand, says Mccaw
All Blacks legend Richie Mccaw believes New Zealand would be prepared to dispense with their policy of appointing head coaches only from within if they deem Joe Schmidt to be the best possible successor to Steve Hansen.
Schmidt, Ireland’s head coach, is busy preparing his players for their game with Argentina in Dublin this evening.
The Kiwi has warned his players not to get distracted by all the talk of New Zealand next Saturday, promising they will be watching that game “from the stands” if they fail to perform against the Pumas tonight.
Mccaw’s comments regarding Schmidt’s future are not going to help anyone stay focused, however.
The man who led the All Blacks to successive World Cups in 2011 and 2015 insisted that “everybody” in New Zealand was hoping that Schmidt – who is contracted to Ireland until the end of next year’s World Cup – would “come back and put himself in the mix” for the All Blacks job.
“I don’t see that being a stopper at all,” Mccaw said of the fact Schmidt has been coaching in Europe since 2007.
“If you have the best coach available who wants to come back, and he’s motivated to coach the All Blacks and he’s the right man for the job, well then you would have to weigh all those things up. “He’s been away for a while, but there’s no doubt among the people who understand rugby who know that he has a very good way of looking at the game. “Everybody sits there hoping one day he’ll come back and put himself back in the mix in New Zealand and we get the benefit of all the experience he’s had coaching at an international level.” Mccaw also named Scott Robertson, John Plumtree and Jamie Joseph as potential successors to Hansen.
“From Ireland’s point of view, you want to try to lock him in,” Mccaw added.
“And from New Zealand’s point of view, if Steve Hansen doesn’t continue, they are going to want all options on the table.”