Steve Hansen has some advice for his All Blacks coaching successor

By NZ Herald

Outgoing All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has handed out some free advice for his imminent successor.

With just two candidates thought to be left in the running for New Zealand Rugby's top coaching job – Ian Foster and Scott Robertson – Hansen made it clear that whoever gets the role must be an incredible leader.

"Leadership is about influencing through relationship," Hansen told All Blacks TV.

"It's not about how much IQ you've got, it's about how much EQ [emotional quotient] you've got."

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At one point Hansen illustrated that Foster, his assistant coach for the past eight years, may have an advantage over Robertson who has yet to play a part in the All Blacks coaching ranks.

"Understanding the environment you're in is going to be important, building relationships within that. Getting your team around you right [is] also really important, and what roles you want them to do."

Meanwhile, Robertson's strength of personality could help the current Crusaders coach make his mark in the role – as long as he doesn't change.

"By and large, the big thing is he's got to be himself. If he does that, then people will get in behind him."

"Then we played England who have been waiting for two and a half years to play this one game. Very, very desperate, right up at 100 percent, and if we are at 92 percent, that's a big shift. They came at us and played well and deserved to win.

In hindsight, Hansen believes the messages during the week may have been off, given the preceding win in the quarterfinal.

"I looked at myself, and the messages during the week and maybe they weren't on the money the way they could have been from a mental point of view, knowing that we have just come off a big win against Ireland."

This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.