So Wayne Smith is off to coach overseas again soon. Whoopdeedoo! Let's all be really happy for Wayne.

Predictably, that's been Chief Executive, Steve Tew's reaction to the much-publicised and most-likely defection of Smith to the Ospreys Club.

Because when hasn't Steve Tew been perfectly happy to go along with and publicly back up Smith's wishes?

From the failed flat backline experiments to the failed rotation and reconditioning initiatives, all of which Wayne Smith was instrumental in introducing, he's had his good mate Steve wholeheartedly condone them.

I can't help thinking that this time though, having to be seen to stamp his good wishes on Smith's wish to jump ship so soon after one of the most controversial, painful and divisive re-appointment decisions of an All Black coaching panel, in all probability, must really grate with Tew big time.

Why wouldn't it? After a blindly-loyal NZRFU and a divided fan-base respectively chose to and had to show loyalty to the coaching panel that oversaw the worst result ever in our ongoing endeavours to win a World Cup since 1987, the back coach now wants out.

I well remember the message that Graham Henry and co. sent out when their pending reappointment became the biggest dilemma in rugby in this country since the dark days of the 1981 Springbok tour.

"United we Stand. Divided we Fall," was the firm impression we were given by the three wise men. In turn, that united image was inevitably a strong factor in their appeal to be reinstated.

So how come in the same year as been given the thumbs-up to coach the All Blacks again, Wayne Smith apparently feels perfectly at ease to vacate the role he wanted so badly just a short while ago?

I reckon that if there had been the slightest sliver of a hint that anyone of the 2007 World Cup coaching triumvirate was not staying around for a couple of years, the decision to retain them may well not have been so unified and the man who I believe is our best living coach may well have not ended up taking the job across the Tasman.

Quite simply, the exceptional loyalty shown to reappointing Henry and co. demanded exceptional and unconditional loyalty from them in return.

Wayne Smith and possibly Steve Hansen obviously don't see it that way.

PREDICT AT YOUR PERIL

Any columnist commenting on a cricket test early in the match takes on the risk of the unpredictability of this wonderful game making a nonsense of any assumptions of the outcome.

As I write this, the Black Caps yesterday took full advantage of winning the toss and then bowling beautifully, to see Ricky Ponting and his team's mediocre form from India continue. At present, we've lost four wickets for just over 100 runs at lunch on the second day.

Our wonderfully accurate bowling performance showed that it's certainly no rash assumption that Tim Southee in particular, has a sustainable career ahead.

But, and when it comes to any likelihood of us beating the Baggy Greens, that's always a huge "but", our batting must at least match the bowling in terms of quality.

I live in hope. Your thoughts on any of the above please.