Don't pass up Deans when the time comes

If the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) lose the services of Robbie Deans, they can't claim they did not have any advanced warning.

The Crusaders coach - once he signs his contract extension - can't see himself staying with the franchise beyond 2007.

Having steered his side to five of the last six finals and three titles since taking the helm in 2000, Deans features on the wish list of most serious European clubs as well as a handful of test nations.

Only last month the Wallabies made a casual approach. Deans said even if it had been something more formal, it wasn't the right move for him right now.

The problem was the timing, not any lack of desire to get back into an international post after his stint as assistant to John Mitchell from 2001 to 2003.

"I don't intend to stay here [at the Crusaders] ad infinitum," said Deans. "There are a lot of factors to weigh up. When the time comes my family and I will look at the pros and cons. If the circumstances were right we would consider an offshore experience or an international job again."

Deans knows that by 2007 the employment market will be awash with opportunities.

When the World Cup ends in mid-October, a number of test coaches will move on while others will be moved on.

Probably the highest profile mover will be Graham Henry. Henry has never given any indication of his intentions post 2007. But history shows that few test coaches opt to stay in the job for over four years.

Australia's Bob Dwyer is the only World Cup-winning coach who was still at the helm for the defence four years later.

Deans doesn't need to state the obvious - that he would love the All Black job if it comes up for grabs next year.

He was bitterly disappointed when he was ousted along with Mitchell at the end of 2003.

His caginess is partly a result of not knowing what the All Black coaching set-up will look like in 2007. Henry is at a different stage in his career to both his assistants, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen. The head coach, particularly if the All Blacks win the World Cup, will have few, if any, boxes left to tick.

Hansen and Smith, though, might want more time in office. They might have the necessary desire to push on through to 2011, when the World Cup will be played in their backyard.

In which case, where would that leave Deans? Could he come in as head coach, effectively a direct replacement for Henry with Smith and Hansen remaining in their assistant roles? Or would Smith step up and use Deans to guide the backs?

Smith and Deans have worked together in the past when the latter was the manager of the Crusaders and the former the coach in the late 1990s.

Hansen, as an assistant and then head coach at Canterbury for much of that period, is chipped from the same block.

The current coaching triumvirate have enjoyed success because the personnel have compatible personalities and playing ideologies.

Deans doesn't appear to be that far removed in terms of his rugby philosophy. The Crusaders, like the All Blacks, place heavy emphasis on set-piece work combined with aggressive defence while always looking to exploit turnover ball.

If there are changes in the All Black regime next year, Deans screams out as the obvious contender to fill any holes.

The NZRU will ignore him at their peril. Deans has a phenomenal record at the Crusaders. He's consistently produced winning teams and helped nurture world-class players such as Daniel Carter, Richie McCaw, Chris Jack and Aaron Mauger.

He has the experience and ability to continue the promising work of the current All Black regime. But likewise, he could just as easily use his skills to help a Northern Hemisphere rival.

Deans knows it would be foolish for him to look too far ahead. "I don't like looking at the horizon too much," he said. "If you are starting to think what is ahead you can't concentrate on what you are doing. You can come unstuck."

It wouldn't, though, be a bad thing for the NZRU to be planning for next year. In Deans they have a valuable asset. They need to work out how best to use it.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY