New Zealand Rugby
Cron poised for All Blacks return
ESPNscrum Staff
January 27, 2012
Mike Cron scrum coach of the All Blacks gets a closeup look at the scrum during a New Zealand All Black training session at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, United Kingdon on November 20, 2008.
Mike Cron served as scrum coach under previous All Blacks coach Graham Henry © Getty Images
Enlarge
Related Links
Players/Officials: Steve Hansen
Tournaments/Tours: Rugby Championship
Teams: New Zealand

Mike Cron is set to return to the New Zealand coaching team having accepted an invite from All Blacks boss Steve Hansen to become forwards coach.

Cron, who served as scrum specialist under former head coach Graham Henry, retired in the wake of New Zealand's recent Rugby World Cup triumph but has been tempted back into service by the prospect of an expanded role within Hansen's new-look support staff.

Ian Foster and Aussie McLean have already been appointed as backs and defence coaches respectively while manager Darren Shand and doctor Deb Robinson have been retained from the previous regime.

"I still have to complete the negotiations and that sort of thing, but Shag asked me and I said `yes' a couple of days ago," Cron told Stuff.co.nz. "Even with the All Blacks in the past, Shag and I have done the lineouts together and he helped me out with the scrums. We all work together - you just have a title, you know. To work with more than the set-piece on a full-time basis will be good."

A resource coach with the New Zealand Rugby Union since 2004, Cron will continue to help age-group national teams at a high-performance level.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices