In New Zealand they are still slowly processing the idea of Steve Hansen, their former World Cup-winning coach, agreeing to help Australia in the lead-up to the World Cup. Even within the All Blacks camp, the jokes are starting to fly. “There must be something in it for him – or he lost a bet,” the lock forward Scott Barrett said drily, when responding to this week’s unlikely sounding news.
Ian Foster, the All Black head coach, was also ready for the inevitable questions and rifled a decent backhand past his inquisitors at the Lensbury Club in Teddington. “Outstanding,” he replied. “He’s agreed to give me three pages of notes about what’s going on [with them]. I’ve got no issues. We might bring him in for a couple of days ourselves.”
