Former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster is being lined up for a return to New Zealand, filling a vacancy in Auckland, according to reports.<\/p>\n
Currently coaching Toyota Verblitz alongside Sir Steve Hansen, Foster was reportedly contacted to apply for the vacant All Blacks head coaching role, following the sacking of Scott Robertson.<\/p>\n
It would be a shock to see the 60-year-old return to the top position, particularly after how he was treated in the latter stages of his stint in charge, as New Zealand Rugby announced that Robertson would be taking over after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, while he was close to being dismissed in 2021.<\/p>\n
Dave Rennie and Jamie Joseph have since emerged as favourites to succeed Robertson, while there are suggestions that Foster<\/a> could return to the All Blacks<\/a> set-up in his previous role as an assistant coach<\/a>.<\/p>\n Blues\u2019 tw0-man shortlist<\/p>\n However, the All Blacks may have competition for his services in the form of the Blues, who are in the market for a new coach following the confirmation that Vern Cotter would be heading to Australia next year, joining the Queensland Reds.<\/p>\n According to The New Zealand Herald<\/a>, Forster and ex-All Blacks assistant Jason Holland are on the shortlist to replace Cotter in Auckland.<\/p>\n This was after Rennie rejected the Blues\u2019 advances late last year, before he applied to contest the vacant All Blacks head coach role. The report adds that it\u2019s the second time that Rennie has rejected the Blues in three years after he declined their advances in 2024, when they were looking to replace Leon MacDonald.<\/p>\n The former Wallabies head coach was not willing to discuss taking on the position in Auckland as he remains loyal to the Chiefs, whom he coached for six years before heading to Glasgow.<\/p>\n Jamie Joseph addresses All Blacks question after \u2018totally unexpected\u2019 Scott Robertson sacking<\/a><\/p>\n Scott Robertson \u2018totally different\u2019 in All Blacks role as shocking details emerge leading to his sacking<\/a><\/p>\n Blues chief executive Karl Budge did not want to discuss individuals when speaking to the publication, which insists that Holland and Foster are among the leading candidates.<\/p>\n \u201cYou always want to move quickly if we can. We\u2019ve got some people we\u2019re doing some homework on at the moment. We\u2019ve got some people we\u2019re starting to have some preliminary conversations with so we\u2019ll want to keep moving on it,\u201d Budge said.<\/p>\n \u201cThese things can be a distraction so we want to be clear with the playing group, clear with Vern, and make sure we\u2019re doing our job off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n