The vacant All Blacks coaching role is a "poisoned chalice".
That's the description used by former England and Lions lock Ben Kay who believes being Steve Hansen's successor should be one of the "most sought-after jobs" in rugby but finer details of the role are why some of the game's biggest names are pulling out of the race.
"There are parallels between Steve Hansen's departure from the All Blacks after 15 years as an assistant and head coach and the time Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United," Kay wrote in a column for The Times.
"Taking over from Hansen after more than a decade of unparalleled All Blacks dominance is a poisoned chalice.
"The squad Ferguson left behind at Old Trafford was nowhere near as strong as it had been and things began to spiral as successive managers tried and failed to rebuild the team.
"The same challenge awaits Hansen's successor. New Zealand are still a fine team but they are not as strong as they were four years ago."
So far the likes of Warren Gatland, Jamie Joseph, and Dave Rennie have all declined to apply for the role, leaving current All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster and Crusaders coach Scott Robertson as the frontrunners from a group of 26 approached by New Zealand Rugby.
New Zealand Rugby is expected to announce Hansen's replacement on December 12.
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