David Leggat: How about an overseas coach for the All Blacks?

News yesterday that Brazilian master coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is the frontrunner to become England soccer manager raises the thought: is an overseas coach ever likely to be in charge of the All Blacks?

Scolari, a hugely successful coach who led Brazil to the World Cup title in 2002 and took Portugal to the final of the European championship two years ago - beating England on both occasions - is poised to follow a Swede, Sven-Goran Eriksson, whose term is up after June's World Cup.

If it's a slight on the standard of English candidates - and certain to upset the Little Englanders who remain distrustful of Johnny Foreigner - it offers a counter-argument: who is the best qualified man to do the job?

And should he get it irrespective of nationality?

The All Blacks are in sure hands at the start of the lead-up year ahead of the sixth World Cup.

Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen have a firm grip on the operation, and proof that they're sailing in fair winds comes with their plans to use up to 39 players in the first three tests of the year, and plonk 15 All Blacks in Buenos Aires while a test is taking place at Eden Park.

(By the way, Springbok coach Jake White yesterday joined the coaching poker game - "your 39 Graham, and I'll raise you six" - in revealing his intentions for this year's squad.)

Remember when Sir Clive Woodward last year raised the future prospect of parking up in Australia and popping over to New Zealand for tests, then zipping back to Sydney?

Remember the derision that ensued?

It just goes to show when things are going your way, tolerance levels zoom up in commensurate proportions.

You should never say never, but New Zealand rugby is unlikely to go the way of soccer, which in keeping with its status as the planet's most popular game has coaches of many nationalities operating "offshore", so to speak.

When Henry calls time - perhaps at the end of next year, win or lose the cup in France, perhaps a couple of years on - there are others waiting in the wings.

Hansen, who followed Henry as Welsh national coach, is heir apparent.

Then there are, in no special order, the likes of Robbie Deans, Smith - who has already done one two-year term in 2000-01 - the Chiefs' Ian Foster and Hurricanes' boss Colin Cooper with an eye on the job somewhere down the line.

Indeed, New Zealand's surplus of rugby coaching talent has played a significant hand overseas.

Think of Alex Wyllie in Argentina, Warren Gatland with Ireland, John Mitchell as Woodward's No 2 in his England days, and Henry and Hansen in Wales.

And that's just the game's top tier jobs.

Our leading coaches are in demand. The well of talent doesn't look like drying up any time soon.

* The award for Caveman of the Week goes to former major league baseball star turned TV commentator Keith Hernandez.

Hernandez, a first baseman who won two World Series for the St Louis Cardinals in 1982 and the New York Mets four years later, spied - gasp, horror - a WOMAN sitting in the San Diego Padres' dugout this week.

"Who is this girl in the dugout, with the long hair? What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout," fumed Hernandez.

Told that Kelly Calabrese was the Padres' massage therapist, new-age guy Keith - picture dark hair, moustache, smarmy - was unabashed.

"I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout."

When it sank into his thick skull - presumably with someone shouting in his earpiece - that he'd better backtrack, fun guy Keith ended with: "You know I'm only teasing. I love you gals out there, always have."