Shelford, Mitchell eye All Black job
September 28, 2001

All Blacks legend Wayne Shelford and Chiefs coach John Mitchell have thrown their hats into the ring for the All Blacks coaching position.

Nominations for the job close on Friday with incumbent coach Wayne Smith going on the media offensive to say he wanted to keep the job.

Smith also faces a challenge from his current assistant Tony Gilbert and Manu Samoa coach John Boe.

Smith's insistence that he not be automatically re-appointed and that the job be advertised could have backfired after the All Blacks again failed to set the world alight.

Shelford, unbeaten as an All Blacks captain and the current North Harbour coach, said on Radio Sport on Friday he had decided only in the last day to put his name forward.

"He's opened up the opportunities for everybody else to have a crack at it, and that's what he wanted so there's a lot of people running against him," Shelford said.

He said the panel which will recommend a new coach to the NZRFU might be looking for something a little different in the coaching staff.

Shelford said he had not thought about having a running mate.

"I can work with anybody, every person that applies for the job is a good coach in their own right," he said.

Mitchell (pictured) said he had returned to New Zealand from coaching with England because he had ultimately wanted to coach the All Blacks, but the timing was different to what he had expected.

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