KEY POINTS:
It was an impossible decision. Tell Robbie Deans to sling his hook now and the Crusaders were going to be scrambling for a head coach at the most critical time in their preparation.
Allow him to stay on and that leaves the most critical man in Australian rugby freely roaming behind enemy lines.
It's not as if Deans can unforget all he knows about the Crusaders players and what they bring to the All Blacks. It's not as if he would give Graham Henry a bum steer should the All Black coach casually inquire next year how specific Crusaders players might be travelling behind the scenes in terms of their fitness and mental attitude.
And, anyway, four years on the job has given Henry and his coaching team a detailed knowledge of all the country's leading players and they are not reliant on information from the various franchise coaches to make their selections.
But as a point of principle, it feels like the NZRU should have made a clean break and asked Deans to be packed up and out of Christchurch by Christmas.
No matter how much he loves the Crusaders, how unwavering his professionalism and integrity, can he really do both jobs with impunity?
Can he really give the Crusaders everything when, at the same time, the Australian Rugby Union are paying him a reported A$500,000 to select and coach the Wallabies?
And while his knowledge about New Zealand's best players will forever be his, why give him the opportunity to learn more about the crop of new boys at the Crusaders - some of whom will no doubt be lining up against his Wallabies side down the track?
Everyone is trying ever so hard to be mature about the situation, show they understand the clinical nature of professionalism. But that's just it, if the NZRU really did understand the cold facts of their business, they wouldn't give Deans their best toy to play with.
There doesn't need to be any bad feeling, any emotion or spitefulness. Deans is a brilliant coach, a decent human and he's made a choice that is entirely understandable.
Shake his hand, wish him well then turf him out so the Crusaders can get on with building a new legacy in 2008 and not get caught in what will feel like a relentless and emotionally charged farewell - almost a testimonial season for Deans.
If the NZRU were so concerned about doing the right thing by Deans then maybe they should have given him the All Black job.
There's no escaping the fact that be it in 2008 or 2009, the Crusaders are going to have begin life without Deans. And there's no denying that will probably result in them having at least one uncomfortable campaign - maybe even two - while the new coach finds his feet.
Having inflicted discomfort on the Crusaders in 2007 as a consequence of the All Black reconditioning programme, the NZRU have decided they can't shaft the country's leading side two years on the hoof.
The pain is coming, though, and the only way it can be partly off-set, the only way the NZRU can justify retaining Deans is by naming his successor now and allowing the coach designate to play a major role in 2008.
