Rugby: Union hoping Shag stays put

The New Zealand Rugby Union are looking to lock up Steve Hansen for another two-year term as All Blacks coach before a ball is even kicked at next year's World Cup.

In what would be an unprecedented move, Hansen could sign on and assure his future ahead of the tournament, a move that would see the coach retain the reins no matter what happened in England.

The NZRU have previously played a waiting game with their coaches, opting to assess the All Blacks' results at rugby's showpiece tournament before passing judgement on the man in charge.

But NZRU chief executive Steve Tew indicated such an approach would be eschewed in favour of securing the services of the "best coach in world rugby".

"If Steve thinks it's right for him, the team and his family, and we can agree some reasonable terms around that tenure, I think there's a good chance we will have that done well before the World Cup," Tew told Newstalk ZB. "We would be foolish to let him go. To be honest, those conversations have begun."

Those conversation are still in their nascent stages, though, with any potential agreement still some way from being completed. Further discussionswill be held after the Northern tour.

"He's got to come back from this tour yet and we will give him time to take stock," Tew said. "The one thing about Steve is that he will be giving it a lot of thought and he will make a very considered decision and we will respect that whatever it is.

"The big question is, will it be right for Steve and his family? And that's the most important question because it's not an easy job in terms of travel and all the pressures and stresses that go with it. I have no doubt that, if Steve is available, he would be the right man for the job."

The decision to extend Hansen would be a departure from history, with his predecessors having been forced to wait until after the World Cup to learn their fate. That generally meant one thing, with an exit from the knock-out stages of the tournament followed by the exit of the coach.

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Sir Graham Henry was fortunate enough in 2007 to earn a reprieve that was never extended to Alex Wylie (1991), Laurie Mains (1995), John Hart (1999) or John Mitchell (2003). Henry managed to survive the post-tournament fallout, edging Robbie Deans to retain his role in a polarising process before going on to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2011.

Perhaps the NZRU learned their lesson from sticking by Henry - that one defeat does not necessarily make or break a coach, nor is it an indicator of any potential future success. Tew also thought the Kiwi rugby public had matured enough to accept a loss - no matter how costly - and look instead at the bigger picture.

"I certainly hope they would back us at that stage," Tew said. I would like to think [Hansen's] record would stand the test of time."

That record - 37 wins, two draws and two defeats from 41 games before this morning's meeting with Wales - puts Hansen in rarefied air. Of all coaches to have taken charge of the All Blacks for more than 10 games, only Hansen (90.24) and Fred Allen (100) boast a winning percentage exceeding 90 per cent.

If Hansen were to decline the chance to burnish his legacy with the All Blacks, perhaps by making a run at Henry's record 88 victories with the team, Tew said alternate plans would be in place.

"We have to think about longer-term succession, too, so there are some complexities to it. We have some other very good coaches out there so if it's not right for Steve we will be working hard to nail the next best person."