Incoming Hurricanes coach John Plumtree wants to recruit a towering, hard-hitting lock for next season and may look abroad to find that player.
Plumtree will replace departing head coach Chris Boyd, who will take up a deal with English club Northampton, after four seasons in charge of the Hurricanes.
The Canes Super Rugby season ended on Saturday night with a 30-12 semi-final loss to the Crusaders.
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They were completely outclassed in the forward battle in Christchurch and Plumtree knows exactly what they need to take the mantle off the Crusaders as the country's best team.
He told Andrew Gourdie and Jim Kayes on RadioLIVE's Sunday Sport that he wanted a South African lock, because New Zealand just doesn't breed them like that anymore.
"When you look at our pack, we probably need a 6ft 9in [2.10m] lock that is 140kg, which would help," he said.
"There are a couple of big men floating around the country, but they're all in Canterbury at the moment.
"We don't breed big guys, not like they do in South Africa and France."
The tallest locks for the Hurricanes this season were Michael Fatialofa and Sam Lousi, who stand 2.01m, much shorter than the average South African lock, at 2.07m.
Plumtree has a strong connection to South African rugby, after spending much of his career in Springbok territory.
He hopes to use a foreign-player spot for a second-rower, but he understands the logistics can be complicated.
"We are allowed to have a foreigner in the side and I'd definitely look for a lock.
"We only have three more spots to fill and I'm in no rush to full those up.
"If one came available, I would look to sign them, but I'm not going to throw one on a plane and bring him over here.
"There is a lot to consider when looking at a player from overseas."
The Canes are losing some key players next season, including Brad Shields and Julian Savea, who will continue their careers in Europe.
Plumtree insists he isn’t worried about losing veteran players.
"We are going to miss those key players and it will likely be a different team, but I think lots of teams go through this and it is an opportunity for others to step up."
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