Robbie Deans may well be cut loose if he gets the Wallabies job, writes Jamie Pandaram.

Robbie Deans's likely appointment as Wallabies coach on Friday will almost certainly end his glorious tenure as boss of the Super 14's most successful side, the Crusaders, with the New Zealand Rugby Union yesterday marking a clear conflict-of-interest line in the sand.

The Australian Rugby Union will interview Deans today or tomorrow for the head coaching role of the national side after he was overlooked for the All Blacks job in favour of incumbent Graham Henry. While the ARU is happy for Deans or rival candidate David Nucifora to continue coaching in next year's Super 14 tournament before joining the Wallabies camp, the NZRU - which employs both men - probably won't allow it.

The NZRU's chief executive designate, Steve Tew, revealed that the board would discuss the futures of Deans and Blues coach Nucifora tomorrow, and also that its decision may be kept secret until after the ARU makes an announcement on the Wallabies position. That means hot favourite Deans, or leading alternative Nucifora, could be hired for one job and sacked from another within days.

Tew also said that the Crusaders, who lack an obvious successor, cannot stop the NZRU if it decides to sack Deans.

"There are termination clauses in his contract," Tew said. "We would be hoping we can manage the process without going to that extreme. But there is the potential for it to become a little bit more formal."

The Kiwis are obviously not keen on the idea of a Wallabies coach working closely with the Crusaders or Blues, two teams laden with All Blacks. Tew said in most businesses, if an employee joined the opposition they would be asked to leave their post immediately.

"I would imagine that anyone from this office [the NZRU], including myself, who went to the Australian union would be asked to do that," Tew said.

Deans hopes to continue coaching the Crusaders next year, having guided the franchise to four titles from six finals appearances since he took over in 2000. While he has yet to speak to the NZRU about his job, he is aware of the coming discussion surrounding his future.

"That obviously will be on their tail at the moment. They'll be forming a stance for me," he told New Zealand's Radio Sport yesterday. "I am committed to performing my obligations to the Crusaders - that's my way. I am contracted to them [until the end of 2008] and I would like to see that out."

■ Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock yesterday joined teammate Chris Latham in praising the talents of Deans in the face of criticism by some over the ARU's consideration of a foreign candidate.

"[Deans] has been an integral part of the Crusaders for the last [eight] years and he's taken them to four titles so that speaks for itself," Mortlock told AAP. "That's not just by chance. He's got amazing credentials and a great win-loss ratio as well.

"If you look at most professional sports it's all about who's best for the job and not so much about the nationality."

Meanwhile, speculation that former All Blacks coach John Mitchell could be Deans's right-hand man at the Wallabies seems to be wide of the mark. Mitchell's name was put forward in the New Zealand press, because the pair were in charge of the All Blacks together from 2001-03 until the side was bundled out of the World Cup by Australia, and they have maintained a relationship.

The thought of the two Kiwis in charge of the Wallabies may bring shudders to purists but sources close to Deans say he won't be asking for Mitchell's help. ARU chairman Peter McGrath could not say yet whether the board would wield any influence on assistant coaching positions.