Mike Cron: former All Blacks scrum coach on Steve Hansen or Ian Foster returning to coach the All Blacks

There has been another development in the story as to who could take the reins as the All Blacks coach heading into the 2027 Rugby World Cup, this time with two familiar names to rugby fans all over New Zealand.

The NZ Herald understands that Sir Steve Hansen and Ian Foster have been approached by New Zealand Rugby to see if they would be interested in applying for the All Blacks head coaching role.

D'Arcy was joined by Mike Cron, a former All Blacks scrum coach who spent years coaching with both Hansen and Foster, to discuss the possibility of them returning to the All Blacks. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talks'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Another development in the crazy circus that is the All
Black coaching appointment process goes from the sublime to the
ridiculous and back again. So we're talking about this until
it's going to happen, about who's going to take the
reins as the All Blacks coach heading into the twenty

(00:33):
twenty seven Rugby World Cup. And that program, that schedule
has just been released. Two familiar names to rugby fans
all over New Zealand, and i'd suggest the world have
risen to the top. It's published yesterday and the Herald
in New Zealand Herald understand interesting term that the Herald understands.

(00:54):
What does that actually mean?

Speaker 3 (00:55):
But anyway, the.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Herald understands that Sirs Steve Hansen and Ian Foster been
approached by n z R and he's in on rugby
to see if they be interested in applying for the
All Blacks head coaching role. Okay, yeah, nah, but hey,
let's talk about it. We're joined by formerly zell On
scrum coach coach the All Blacks Worth Both Hanson and

(01:17):
Foster's Name's Mike Crum joins us now to discuss whether
this could be a real possibility. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 3 (01:26):
Mike, thanks very much, Das, good to be here.

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Yeah, interesting news over the last couple of days. And
I'm sure the rumors have been bouncing and flying in
every rugby circle you're involving about who's going to be
the next all black coach. But two names have sprung
up over the weekend, not confirmed nor denied. Doing some
digging there the possibility of Foster and Hanson being involved

(01:51):
with whatever the next coaching set up is. What's your
initial reaction to that working with them both previously.

Speaker 3 (01:58):
Oh, that'd be false. I'd see I actually fly and
meet them on Thursday in Japan.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
I'm going to go and do a bit of coaching
for them over Toyota, so I'll be able to give
you a bit more and so it once you get there.

Speaker 3 (02:11):
But I'd say that'd be bullshit, to be fair, What
do you base that on.

Speaker 4 (02:16):
Steve would be the bus has gone for him, you know,
he's he's heading towards the you know, the twilight and
really winding down, and Fozzy, I don't think he'd want
to go back in again, you know, it was a
bad situation for him. He would be a great guy
because he's a tremendous coach and he'd do it on

(02:36):
his ear. But he'd never want to go down that
road again, I think.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
I think the coaches probably wouldn't, but you never say never.
But Rich were great moving back to the past, That's
probably never a good idea of coaching, isn't it, especially
the number of men who are involved in the team previously.

Speaker 4 (02:52):
Yeah, I think I think they just got to move forward,
you know, And and a lot of our good coaches,
you know, are overseas coaching, and you know, guys like
Dave Rennie comes off contract at Kobe, and I think
he'd be he'd be a great, great man if you
get him. I thought he'd a really good job at
the Wallabyes and got sacked. Well, I'd say wrong. He's

(03:13):
that all the players and management loved him, and I
know the players at the Chiefs certainly did.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
And I think he'd do a great job. You know.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Could they lure you back, Mike to be involved in
some way, shape or form for the upcoming World Cup?

Speaker 4 (03:28):
No, no, no, I've run my race, tea.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
Yeah, I think that's a step backwards.

Speaker 4 (03:36):
You know, maybe you need someone quite often now, you
need some guy sitting there on the bloody fence having
a cup of coffee, having a watch and listen. You know,
some gray, bald headed old bugger that can offer a
wee bit to help the coaches steer them. And I'm
doing a wee bit of that work at the moment
with the new wallaby Ford coaches, you know, just from afar,

(04:00):
just helping them. So I think there's a place for
that for someone. Wayne Smith was doing it, I think
up to now, But no for me, definitely not.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
So with Steve and with Ian though maybe slightly further out,
like what you're doing. Could they bring some solidity, some
focus to this campaign by not being directly in the team,
but being there or thereabouts. That wouldn't be the worst idea,
would it make?

Speaker 3 (04:27):
No?

Speaker 4 (04:27):
No, No, A consultant, you know, someone with that experience,
both of them, and like you look at Steve for instance,
he's he's hugely experienced at a national level. And just
to sit there, as I said, just watching, observing and
listening and not not coaching, and just being there as
a sounding board, you know, for whoever may get the role.

(04:47):
There's always a place I think, for to have someone
that you have a quiet yarnt just to help you.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
So the role, we don't know who the coach is
going to be. Plainly everyone thinks it's probably going to
be Jamie Joseph if you mention that, Dave Reny. But
I wouldn't say it's it's a panic appointment. But they've
only got a couple of years. A lot of weight
on whoever ended our go with considering what's happened over
the last four or five years.

Speaker 4 (05:13):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's a it's a strange old world,
isn't it. You know, Like if you know Fozzy had
stayed where he was, I personally think.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
We would have had a great shot at the World Cup.
Great coach he had.

Speaker 4 (05:29):
He had the players behind him who stood up to
Mark Robinson when Mark flew over to Savage at the
sack Fozzy. It was the players, mainly the leaders who
went and said, look how you are?

Speaker 3 (05:39):
This is the guy for us.

Speaker 4 (05:41):
So he had the players, you know, So but hows
to be moved on.

Speaker 3 (05:48):
So I don't think Fozzy will ever go back down
that road again.

Speaker 4 (05:51):
But I personally think if that if he had ridden
that out, we would have been in good shape.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
But do you go Yeah, but.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
If he brings some assistance from the exterior or a
we bit, that would be helpful. But it comes down
to how the coaching group would work and how they
bond to a couple of old guys coming back into
the fold. Again, that's a really delicate blend coaching wise, Mike,
you've been involved too many cooks or just the perfect
combination and what engagement they bring to that.

Speaker 4 (06:19):
Yeah, that's why I don't think they'd go down that
road with Fuzzy and Steve.

Speaker 3 (06:23):
I don't think that'd be interested.

Speaker 4 (06:25):
But you got to you to look at a coaching
group four or five or six coaches. You know, it's like,
in a roundabout way, it's sort of like a funny
old marriage. You know, Sure, you have the odd agment
and you kiss and make up, and at some stage
you can't kiss and make up anymore and someone's got
to go.

Speaker 3 (06:43):
And we've already lost too through the previous head coach.

Speaker 4 (06:47):
So you know, it's really important that that whoever is
getting the role, that they really make sure that their
assistance in them are joined at the hip, you know,
and through right or wrong or thick and thin, you know,
you stick together.

Speaker 2 (07:01):
It's the odd combination, isn't It been technically very sound,
having a fantastic game plan, But more importantly we got
to put the arm around the player and you got
that from Fozzy and Hanson, although they probably couldn't put
the arm around the player if they're helping from Afar.

Speaker 4 (07:16):
Yeah, yeah, no, but they were certainly good.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
I mean, both excellent with the players.

Speaker 4 (07:23):
You know, players would always die for them, you know,
and they had that great common touch, both of both
those men. But to answer the original question, I'd say
definitely not. They wouldn't be interested.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Not in coaching, but you think they may be interested
in helping out from Afar for the good of New
Zealand rugby.

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Well Steve, yeah, both of them. He's got New Zealand
Rugby at heart.

Speaker 4 (07:46):
And I know Steve has done a lot of work
for a lot of people, Like even at the last
Fell Cup he paked his nose into the Wildbies for
a week because Eddie Jones asked him to come in
and just watch and observe.

Speaker 3 (07:56):
You know, Steve's that sort.

Speaker 4 (07:58):
Of guy where he'll go, you know where he'd think
he can help people where he's asked and has a
lot of relationships with a lot of people just never know,
you know, but dragging him out of Wanaka next year
you'll be doing well.

Speaker 3 (08:11):
I reckon.

Speaker 2 (08:13):
Yeah, I don't disagree with that. And Mike Kron always
a joy. Thanks very much for your time. I'm sure
catch up again sooner rather than later.

Speaker 3 (08:21):
Thank you, good on your mate, Bye bye.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
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