So -the All Blacks Assistant Coach, Steve Hansen, is contemplating stepping down - with his eyes fixed on the vacant Crusaders job, which is still up for grabs.

Hansen has experience coaching in Canterbury, leading them to two NPC championships in 1997 and 2001, before heading to Wales to coach their national side in 2002 and 2003.

After coaching Wales in the 2003 World Cup, Hansen joined Graham Henry and Wayne Smith as an Assistant Coach of the All Blacks. Now, though, it seems that he has aspirations to coach the All Blacks after the 2011 World Cup.

With so many of our top coaches now working overseas, Hansen sees the opportunity of coaching the All Blacks beyond 2011 as a very real possibility.

Coaching the Crusaders would be a great opportunity for Hansen to develop his own coaching skills, and really - what better place to do it than with the seven-time champs?

Todd Blackadder has been rumoured to be in the running for an Assistant job under Hansen, as has Aussie Maclean. Blackadder would make a great deputy, as he has strong ties to the region and would help some of the die-hard Robbie Deans fans accept the idea of Hansen coaching in Canterbury (Hansen's links to Henry may well make him unpopular down south...).

Blackadder has also been linked with Mark Hammet, who Deans believed should be the next Crusaders coach - but we think it would be better for him to join Hansen's team, as Hammet's coaching credentials are limited.

While Hansen has not officially put his hand up, the chances of him leaving the All Blacks environment are high. If he is successful in his bid, he may leave the All Blacks after the Tri Nations to concentrate on the Crusaders role, missing the end of year tour to the Northern Hemisphere.

Of course, Hansen would love to keep his role with the All Blacks, too - but you can't have your cake and eat it, can you?