WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Interviews for the All Blacks head coaching position will be held on Thursday, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) said on Wednesday.
A decision is not expected until Friday at the earliest.
Incumbent Graham Henry has been forced to re-apply for the position after his heavily favoured team crashed out of the World Cup during the quarter-finals.
The 61-year-old is facing a challenge for the job from Super 14 coaches Colin Cooper (Wellington Hurricanes), Robbie Deans (Canterbury Crusaders) and Ian Foster (Waikato Chiefs).
Deans is widely considered by local media as the biggest threat to Henry and his coaching panel of Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, having won four Super titles with the Crusaders, made two other finals and a semi-final in his eight seasons in charge.
He was also an assistant All Blacks coach under John Mitchell at the 2003 World Cup.
The NZRU said interviews would begin at 1330 (12:30 a.m. British time) on Thursday, with the candidates interviewed alphabetically.
Board member Mike Eagle has been appointed to lead the selection process after chairman Jock Hobbs ruled himself out. Hobbs is Deans's brother-in-law.
"In the event that a decision is reached, a media announcement will be scheduled for Friday," the NZRU said. "The Board will take as long as is necessary to make the right decision, which may mean the decision and/or any announcement is not finalised by Friday."
The NZRU has also outlined the terms of reference for an independent review of its World Cup campaign.
The review, announced after the 20-18 loss to France in Cardiff, will be conducted by Auckland lawyer Mike Heron and leading sports administrator Don Tricker.
Heron and Tricker will examine a number of aspects but most notably the effects of Henry's controversial conditioning and rotation policies, which withdrew 22 players from the first half of the 2007 Super 14 and failed to settle on a first-choice team before the World Cup, and the cost of the campaign.
"We expect there are lessons out of this year's Cup campaign ... and the independent review will be of benefit to both the All Blacks and the wider organisation," said Hobbs.
The review is due to be completed by April 10, 2008.
(Writing by Greg Stutchbury in Melbourne; editing by Ossian Shine)
