Mack Hansen feels that having a New Zealander as head coach of the Wallabies "just doesn't seem right".
Robbie Deans and Dave Rennie are two New Zealanders who have recently been head coach of the Wallabies.
Former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt is one of the front runners to succeed Eddie Jones in the role. Schmidt was part of the New Zealand backroom team at the Rugby World Cup but has not joined new head coach Scott Robertson's set-up.
19 November 2022; Mack Hansen of Ireland gives away one of his boots to a supporter after the Bank of Ireland Nations Series match between Ireland and the Wallabies at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
"I'd like to see an Aussie back in charge," Australian-born Ireland international Hansen told Jim Hamilton's The Big Jim Show.
"For some reason, I don't know what it is - I could be putting my foot in my mouth here - but whenever a New Zealand coach has been in charge, it just hasn't seemed to click. Something about it just doesn't seem right.
"At the end of the day, Joe Schmidt did get results and whatnot. As I said, I don't know about that, a New Zealander [in charge of the Wallabies]."
Hansen suggested Leicester head coach Dan McKellar, under whom he worked at the Brumbies, and Andy Friend, who recruited him for Connacht, as two possible candidates.
19 November 2022; Mack Hansen of Ireland is tackled by Bernard Foley and Andrew Kellaway of Australia during the Bank of Ireland Nations Series match between Ireland and the Wallabies at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by John Dickson/Sportsfile
"[Dan McKellar] was a coach of mine and I've seen what it's like to be under him," said Hansen.
"I wasn't even playing much when Dan was in charge - thanks for that, Dan, by the way! I still loved and respected Dan a lot throughout the whole thing. There was times where I was frustrated with him and it was a bit shitty that I wasn't playing.
"At the end of the day, he was a very good fella so it was easy to let it... not slide, but just get on with it and you know this is your job and things aren't always going to go how you planned. I think he would have been a really good add to the team but I think he came out and said he's not going to do that.
"There's people like Bernie (Stephen Larkham), he didn't really get his chance to go on and really have a crack at the system. I'd say he'd be a good candidate as well. Give him a crack at the top role. Brums have been doing well. He's proven everywhere he's gone that he's done fairly well.
22 December 2023; Mack Hansen of Connacht after winning a penalty during the United Rugby Championship match between Ulster and Connacht at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
"Friendy would be good. It would be interesting. I don't know if he'd want to do it. I don't know he's at in his headspace. He's just been on a jolly up for the last six months, running around in his camper van.
"Friendy, I found he's the kind of figure that you want at the top; someone that you can respect and is a lot about family. I think it needs to be a core value. You need to be able to put away the coach's hat every now and then and just be a good fella. I think Friendy is that.
"There's a couple of good candidates out there. I kind of contradict myself because everyone got on with Dave Rennie very well. I wonder if they'd ever try throwing him back in there and if he'd want to do it."
