If the NZRU are prepared to help improve Robbie Deans' coaching, then surely they have to give the green-light to Steve Hansen's bid to take charge of the Crusaders.

Hansen confirmed late last week that he had applied to coach the Crusaders in 2009, at the same time as remaining on staff with the All Blacks as forwards coach.

For a start, it is a move which is allowed for under the NZRU's board-enforced protocol.

And it is not as if this would be a first-ever for the All Blacks.

Deans himself invoked the rule during his stint on the All Black coaching panel between late 2001 through to the 2003 World Cup, continuing to coach the Cursaders while working as John Mitchell's assistant at the All Blacks.

That point seems to have been overlooked by sections of the rugby media saying Hansen can't do both roles, scribes who too have shown their colours as confirmed Deans supporters in recent months and weeks.

Not only should Hansen be able to coach the Crusaders if he is the best-qualified candidate for the job because the rules allow him to, he should also get a shot because of the earlier precedent the NZRU set in allowing Deans to continue coaching the Crusaders after signing-on to coach the Wallabies.

Politics surely played a big part in that latter decision.

The NZRU had already alienated elements in some sections of the rugby public, including Cantab fans, by choosing to retain Graham Henry as All Black coach over Deans.

Doing the right thing and abdicating Deans of the Crusaders role would have further soured feelings in the mainland.

The decision to allow Deans to continue on as Crusaders coach gave Deans the perfect leg-up to his new job across the Tasman.

He was afforded a five-month stint coaching under the ELVs, many of which will now be used in the Tri-nations.

That is something which members of the All Black coaching team would surely too have loved to have had.

It also gave him a lengthy stint either coaching or coming up against players he will now be formulating a game-plan to bring down as the Wallabies' head honcho in the Tri-nations.

It appears unlikely that Hansen would have applied for the Crusaders job unless he had a fairly good idea that his bid would be acceptable.

While Deans nominated his assistant Mark Hammett as his preferred replacement, the former All Black hooker has no head coaching experience at representative level.

The other leading contender Todd Blackadder will coach Tasman in the Air New Zealand Cup, but his coaching record to date is rather modest.

So if Hansen is the right man, give him the job.

There's no doubt it will benefit his coaching in the long-term.

And as for comments that it is questioning the pathway of the likes of Hammett, if he ain't ready then it is more prudent to give him a back-room role to continue his development.

What do you think?

Should Hansen be allowed to stay on board with the All Blacks and also coach the Crusaders?

And if Hansen doesn't get the job, who should coach the Crusaders?