To quote that wise old tennis superstar John McEnroe, "yeeeew caaan't be seeeerious".

New Zealand Rugby have invited 26 separate applicants to potentially become the next All Blacks coach. What an embarrassment. How many of those could realistically coach our team? Six at most? I'm hoping they've asked the Mid Canterbury U-19 reserve team assistant to apply because that person should be genuinely upset if they haven't. 

Once again, like almost everything they touch, NZR have way over thought the process. K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid.

Reality is this is a contest between two differing philosophies, those being Continuity or Fresh Ideas with most people compartmentalising all the candidates into one of those camps. The question I have is it possible for the incumbent(s) to bring fresh ideas themselves to the interview, then combine those with what's already an excellent proven record? 

And if your answer to that is "no", then you've just ignored Steve Hansen's claim to the top job 10 years ago. And as for these calls (SBW inspired) that the next coach should be Maori or Polynesian or our first female leader of the ABs or whatever, how about we stop all that silliness right now and remember this is the All Blacks and the ONLY important thing is not what the person is but who the person is. 

In terms of all the candidates we simply want the best. Or is it me that has now lost  the plot? 

But back to the 26. Again, utter idiocy. There isn't 26 people capable of coaching the All Blacks on the planet. Trust NZR to over think it. Not like them to over complicate the process, is it?