Comment: NZ Rugby is seemingly gravitating towards an MMP era of coaching

Scott Robertson's break dancing may strike a chord with NZ Rugby but is it enough to address any perceived sense of disconnect the brown boys may have with the ABs. Photo / Photosport

Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann once proclaimed the cricket captain of the men's team was the second most important position in his country — behind that of the Prime Minister.

No doubt, Lehmann can't claim exclusivity in that declaration because former Australian Prime Minister John Howard — in planting a firm tongue in his cheek several years earlier — had claimed he had the second most important position among high offices in the land girth by sea amid raging debate on whether Michael Clarke was worthy enough to assume the mantle of cricket captain.

But enough about the Ockers and cricket.

Never mind where it sits on the rugby totem pole, where does the cloistered office of the All Blacks head coach preside when juxtaposed with the lofty perch of Jacinda Ardern at the Beehive in Wellington?

I have a sneaky suspicion the team that sports the country's best global marketing brand are capable of giving the national elections a run for its money in appointing the successor to Steve Hansen next month.

After the unceremonious exit of the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the interest on who was going to succeed Hansen had hit a crescendo. That further fuelled speculation on the successful candidate handing out ministerial portfolios to those who have the intestinal fortitude to ensure they have got what it takes to have the black machine purring again to regain global supremacy.

Nevertheless, that fervour seems to be plummeting towards the nadir of a celestial sphere of rugby-dom, as New Zealanders have come to know it.

The interest in what is arguably the most sought-after management position in the country is beginning to wane in some quarters.

The challenge to aspire to the office, it seems, has as much appeal as countries throwing their hats into the ring to host the next Commonwealth Games.

Like it or not, the job of the All Blacks head coach comes across as a poisoned chalice.

Jamie Joseph pulling out of the race to remain with Japan is the latest indication of a snub but NZ Rugby congratulating him is certainly a break from tradition. Photo / Photosport

The so-called 26 candidates have whittled down to a two-horse race between Hansen's assistant, Ian Foster, and Crusaders head honcho Scott Robertson.

Akin to a group one thoroughbred horse race, the punters have been waking up to scratchings as the premier meeting date draws near.

Jamie Joseph pulling out is the latest indication of a snub although I'm not sure if that is more unnerving than New Zealand Rugby breaking from protocol to congratulate him on an extended tenure with 2IC Tony Brown in Japan.

Was it a sense of loyalty that saw Joseph withdraw or the amount of yen the Brave Blossoms showered him with?

I'd like to believe it was both. Coaches of Joseph's ilk have left New Zealand's shores mindful they have had as much chance of mentoring the All Blacks as Opposition leader Simon Bridges has of eclipsing Ardern as the preferred PM, if the latest polls are anything to go by.

It seems spurning overtures from the All Blacks guardians is bucking a lifelong trend, especially for those who have had to go abroad to show their worth.

Whether that craze will cotton on to players intent on seeking fiscal fillip over patriotism in slipping on the black jersey remains to be seen.

What is certain is Kiwi coaches in high offices offshore will cast nets to entice pedigree players with lucrative offers to test that allure of the black jersey.

So what can we make of Fozzie and Razor?

A fair whack of the great unwashed believe Foster's goose is cooked. He is, in their eyes, "Mr 65 per cent" who was, at best, Hansen's yes man for eight years.

Shag's endorsement of Foster only highlights the half slip of "continuity" to hide the naked truth of impending change, as it had done when Sir Graham Henry reneged on his words to step down before, defiantly, going on to win the RWC before handing the baton to his then assistant, Hansen.

Ian Foster (left) has received Steve Hansen's endorsement to succeed him as head coach but that only highlights the half slip of "continuity" to hide the naked truth on impending change. Photo / NZME

NZ Rugby will have to weigh its options carefully because the swathe of negativity — supposedly heralding the dawn of a new era — towards Foster can disenfranchise the public.

That's what rugby fanatics fear most but some would argue that was then. With a changing of guards under way for Steve Tew and Mark Robinson as CEO, there's optimism the durability of threads that binds an old boys' network is starting to fray.

Appointing someone in a frigid climate of hostility is fraught with danger but the smirking King Henry is a constant reminder that all can be forgiven and forgotten if the incumbent reinstates authority.

If anything, the appointment of a successor will be more about how much NZR is in touch with its fans than it is in maintaining a stranglehold on a bullish sporting dynasty.

Is the country prepared for a coach in the mould of Robertson? You know, hip-hopping and breakdancing his way to three Super Rugby crowns.

More importantly, the prudent may argue, how tenable is a Super Rugby testimonial at the higher echelons of test rugby.

In some respects, Razor may resonate with the jandal-clad, dreadlocked generation of players that Sonny Bill Williams had alluded to in his parting shot when asked about Hansen's successor.

Whether that persona will prevail — if chosen — in his quest to make the All Blacks great again is debatable. However, it does perpetuate the myth the ABs stamp their supremacy when the Crusaders do well.

My guess is there'll be a concerted move towards a mixed-member proportional system of coaching to accommodate conservative and contemporary values.

That means it'll be a Fozz and Razor show by default. Even the selection panel of Henry, NZR chairman Brent Impey, Robinson, head of high performance Mike Anthony and netball stalwart Waimarama Taumaunu smacks of MMP although more analysis is required to ascertain the rhyme and reason behind that composition.

The tricky aspect will be in acknowledging how serious NZR is about any perceived sense of disconnect the brown boys may have on the park with the ABs while it is in the throes of accommodating the demands of female parity.

That Sir Graham Henry is in the mix to appoint the next All Blacks head coach warrants closer scrutiny of what the appointment panel reflects and what the NZ Rugby mindset is. Photo / File