Outgoing All Blacks boss Ian Foster will consider coaching another international team after being linked with the vacant Wallabies job.
Foster guided New Zealand to the Rugby World Cup final in France, which they lost 12-11 to South Africa in Paris at the weekend.
That ended Foster's rollercoaster tenure, with champion Crusaders coach Scott Robertson now taking the reins.
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Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh on Tuesday said foreigners would be considered to take over from Eddie Jones, while commenting directly on Foster.
Two Kiwis have previously coached the Wallabies – Robbie Deans and Dave Rennie – although RA chairman Hamish McLennan has indicated his preference for an Australian.
"Obviously Fozzie had a great campaign this year and a pretty close (World Cup) final that probably could have gone either way," Waugh said after Jones quit 10 months into a five year contract.
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"We're open to getting the best coach for our system and our team."
In an interview with Newstalk ZB, Foster was directly asked whether he was going to apply for the Wallabies gig.
"I'm just having a rest at the moment – I've done well getting out of bed for this interview," Foster said.
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"I'm not saying anything about my future at the moment – all I'd say is I haven't spoken to anyone about anything.
"I've done that deliberately. I had a couple of options before the World Cup where I said 'if you want to talk to me you have to wait until after the World Cup'. Because I don't want this team or this country thinking I was busy trying to sort myself out before the biggest event. I wanted people to know I was 100 per cent focused on the team and and I'd like to think everyone saw that.
"Now I want to take my time and figure out what's next. The timing's not perfect because a lot of jobs are all gone. That's OK – I was willing to take that risk."
Dan McKellar (Leicester), Stephen Larkham (Brumbies) and Michael Cheika (Argentina) are well credentialled Australian candidates.
Foster was asked if he wanted to coach "at the highest level".
"That's one of the options," Foster said.
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"There are a few things – you've got the club stuff in Europe, you've got Japan and there's the international game.
"It's immensely difficult talking about trying to coach another country when you've just had 12 years with the best team in the world and so close to my heart.
"Frankly I just need to breathe a little bit before I go down that path."
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