NZ coach: Another one bites the dust
THREE-HORSE RACE: The battle for the next All Black head coach is down to just three contenders.
Leading New Zealand rugby broadcaster Scotty Stevenson took to Twitter claiming that the search for Steve Hansen’s successor is “looking like a three-horse race” between Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, Japan’s Jamie Joseph and Hansen’s assistant Ian Foster.
It had been widely accepted that former Chiefs coach Dave Rennie was also a strong favourite.
However, it would seem he has now dropped out of the race to replace Hansen, who stepped down after the All Blacks’ failed World Cup campaign in Japan, bowing out after seven years in the role.
AB coach job looking like a three horse race:
Scott Robertson
Jamie Joseph
Ian FosterDecember 12 announcement.
— Scotty Stevenson (@sumostevenson) November 15, 2019
Rennie has also been strongly linked to the Australian coaching role, vacated by Michael Cheika after the Wallabies’ humiliating quarterfinal exit.
According to Stevenson, New Zealand Rugby is expected to announce the new coach on December 12, though a NZR spokesperson denied they will unveil the coach on that date.
Last week, New Zealand Rugby Chairman Brent Impey revealed that the organisation had invited applications from 26 Kiwi coaches.
John Mitchell, Warren Gatland and Aaron Mauger have already ruled themselves out of contention.
Source: NZ Herald & RugbyPass
