Joe Schmidt could be in the running for the All Blacks job when current manager Steve Jansen vacates the position. Hansen has been at the helm since 2012 and guided New Zealand to World Cup glory in 2015, but New Zealand Rugby's chief executive as entertained the idea that Jansen could step down after the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
Steve Tew has revealed some of the top candidates for the job with Jansen's current assistant, Ian Foster the prime candidate at the minute.
Speaking to the Guardian, Tew believes "Ian Foster is sitting there as a very strong candidate when Steve does finish but there’ll be others."
“Joe (Schmidt) is sitting in Ireland and we’d like to have him back. Vern (Cotter) is coaching at a very high level and you wouldn’t rule [Warren Gatland] out either.”
Schmidt is under contract with Ireland, and signed an extension last October that will ensure he stays with the boys in green until after the 2019 World Cup, but by then, the position in New Zealand could possibly have opened up.
The 51 year old, who has been managing Ireland since 2013 after a three year spell at Leinster, is a Kiwi himself and the prospect at managing his own country may lure him home.