There's a long waiting list to be All Blacks coach and by the time Steve Hansen is done, it could be longer.
Hansen's 93 per cent winning record means he could probably have the job as long as he wants it. For now, that means the 2019 World Cup.
The down side for a long list of successful kiwi coaches is their shot at the big time will have to wait.
The good news is, when it comes to being All Blacks coach, patience is a virtue.
New Zealand rugby has looked fondly on those who've bided their time and picked up international experience. Hansen and Sir Graham Henry had mixed results with Wales but learnt plenty about running a test team.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie is a two-time Super Rugby champion and is surely a front runner. He's suggested this year the only way to further his career, until Hansen goes, is to head overseas.
Ireland's Joe Schmidt and Scotland's Vern Cotter took that step a long time ago. Champion Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph is about to do the same thing with Japan. Warren Gatland's thrown his lot in with Wales and the Lions.
But any potential applicants won't want to stay overseas too long. NZ Rugby CEO Steve Tew says it would be logical to have them in camp during the 2019 World Cup, as part of their succession planning for 2020. That planning is already underway, with High Performance Manager Don Tricker regularly in touch with the long term prospects, wherever they are in the world.
That might dissuade Schmidt and Cotter from signing with foreign sides through to the next World Cup, when their contracts run out in 2017.
Then there's Hansen's assistant Ian Foster. He appears to have an advantage. He's served an apprenticeship under Hansen. He knows the players and the system. He will almost definitely be with the team in Japan for the next World Cup. The problem for Foster is his head coaching record is more modest than many of the other applicants. He took the Chiefs to one Super Rugby final and it wasn't pretty. They were humbled 61-17 by the Bulls in Pretoria in 2009.
Even if you miss out on the big gig in 2020, those assistant positions will be up for grabs. Considering Alex Wylie, John Hart and Hansen all started as a sidekick, before stepping up to the big time, coming home for a lesser role could work out in the long run.
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