A decision as to the future of Joe Schmidt as Ireland head coach is imminent, with many expecting him to make his exit after the World Cup next year.
After an incredible year - with Schmidt's side winning all but one of their games in 2018 - Ireland will round off the Guinness November Test Series against the USA on Saturday evening.
The focus will then turn to 2019 - a defence of their Grand Slam title and the Rugby World Cup looming large on the horizon.
Many expect the Kiwi to leave his post as Ireland head coach after next year's global showpiece. The lure of the All Blacks head coach position may be too much to turn down.
However, speaking on Thursday morning's OTB AM, former Ireland international Alan Quinlan says he has been gauging the mood of those in the New Zealand rugby community.
Instead of a move for Schmidt, he explains how internal promotions might be the move for the All Blacks - with Steve Hansen being promoted to a director of rugby position.
"I spoke to Jeff Wilson last week and I was asking him and Justin Marshall: 'What's the talk back home in New Zealand?'," he said.
"Both of them were saying there's no major talk of Joe Schmidt coming back. They know what he's achieving and people know he's doing really well in Ireland.
"The talk is that Steve Hansen is going up as a director of rugby and then there will be a possibility of a [vacant head coach] position.
"The thing that happened when Graham Henry left was that Hansen stepped up. So, there's not an awful lot of change or structure to the group.
"There's talk that a similar scenario is happening with Ian Foster and he'll step up and take the head coach role - with Hansen moving up into that director of rugby role."
Destinies intertwined: Joe Schmidt and Steve Hansen may soon become the men tasked with leading New Zealand rugby into the future. Image: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
He continued: "I don't think they'll panic and say: 'We have to get Joe.'
"They'd be foolish not to take him if he was available. But I don't think there's any kind of ulterior motive or planning going on here in the background [to bring Joe back].
"He might not go back for a while, he might take a break.
"I think if he leaves the job he's going back to New Zealand with the family. Then he can go and really take any job he wants.
"Any of the Super Rugby franchises will take him. He could go to Australia and take a job there.
"Everyone would want Joe if he went back down to the Southern Hemisphere."
Quinlan admitted he himself thinks that the next move for Schmidt in an international coach position would be a move to the All Blacks.
A return to coach his native New Zealand and the back-to-back world champions the reward for moulding Ireland into one of the most formidable teams in world rugby.
"I think if he goes from the Ireland job, the next role is the New Zealand head coach. I do fear it's going to happen.
"He'd be an incredible loss, but I don't think there'd be a panic. What he's left behind is a level of detail and coaching that will stay with the group of coaches that he's worked with.
"They will have benefited and learned hugely from him over the years."
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