KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Rugby Union won't have much need for a shortlist when it assesses candidates for the job of next All Blacks coach.
With the next appointee almost certain to come from the ranks of professional coaches already employed by the union, genuine contenders are few and far between.
If the union opts for change after four years of Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, Crusaders coach Robbie Deans will be the raging hot favourite to take over.
Former All Blacks coach John Hart agreed with the union's decision to open the position to applicants.
"I'm delighted and not surprised, given the results, that they've decided the position should be contestable."
The incumbent coaches and Deans were the obvious favourites but the standing of Henry, Hansen and Smith might have been fatally damaged by the World Cup failure, Hart said.
"With the results of the [World Cup] campaign and the strategy put in place by the three coaches having obviously failed, it will be very difficult for any of them to convince the New Zealand union that they should go forward - especially seeing they have come out and said they would not change the strategy."
Colin Cooper would appear to have the next best case, having taken the Hurricanes to the 2006 Super 14 final. But his credentials pale in comparison with the multi-title-winning Deans.
Of the other Super 14 coaches, David Nucifora is an Australian who has achieved patchy results in two seasons at the Blues; Ian Foster hasn't exactly worked miracles at the Chiefs; and Highlanders coach Glen Moore is a relative unknown.
Pat Lam, with two national championship titles in four seasons in charge of Auckland, is the best-credentialled coach from the NPC. But he would not be considered qualified for the All Blacks post.
History suggests reapplying for the job is a forlorn exercise. Smith was the last head coach invited to do so, in 2001, but he lost out to John Mitchell.
Smith has said he will support Henry if he stands again but Henry is keeping his cards close to his chest.
Deans is in Australia at a coaching symposium, but a Crusaders spokesman said he stood by comments made last week that he would very much like the job.
Foster was unaware last night of the NZRU's decision and said he would consider his position over the next few days.
"I guess I'll check my letterbox and see if I'm one of the chosen ones," he said in reference to the union's intention to write to potential applicants.
Henry and his coaching team have this week gone through an extensive post-World Cup review.
The role of quarter-final ref Wayne Barnes - who sin-binned All Black Luke McAlister and missed a French forward pass in the move that led to France's winning try - has come under intense media scrutiny.
Henry said the review had been fair and thorough and the crucial game had been discussed in depth.
"We discussed all the factors that could have influenced that game: the way the All Blacks played, the way the French played, and other things."
He said he was very proud of the All Blacks and extremely disappointed about the failure to win the World Cup.
Under Henry, the All Blacks won 42 out of 48 test matches; won a test series against the Lions and a grand slam against the home unions; retained the Bledisloe Cup for four years; and won the Tri-Nations trophy in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
