Richie McCaw has tipped Ireland coach Joe Schmidt as the man to take over from Steve Hansen for the All Blacks.

Hansen hasn't commented on whether he wants to stay on with the All Blacks after next year's World Cup, but if the team are crowned world champions for a third time in a row, Hansen may feel it's time to move on.

At an event for the All Blacks' sponsor AIG in London, McCaw said Schmidt would be a good person to replace Hansen, because how he's improved Ireland over the past five years.

GETTY IMAGES The former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw is an admirer of Joe Schmidt.

"There's no doubt that people admire what Joe has done with the Irish team," McCaw said at the event ahead of this weekend's test between England and the All Blacks at Twickenham.

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"He's been away for a while, but there's no doubt amongst the people who understand rugby that he has a very good way of looking at the game.

GETTY IMAGES Joe Schmidt has brought huge success to the Irish rugby team.

"I think everybody sits there hoping one day he'll come back and put himself back in the mix in New Zealand, and we get the benefit of all the experience he's had at an international level and obviously quite a few years successfully at club level as well.

"From Ireland's point of view, you want to try and lock him [Schmidt] in and from New Zealand's point of view, if Steve doesn't continue, they're going to want all the options on the table.

"It will be hard for Joe, because he wants to concentrate on doing a good job for the next 12 months, but if he wants to put his name in the hat, it will be pretty good to have a coach like that looking around."

When Schmidt left New Zealand in 2007, his coaching potential had yet to be realised.

He was Blues assistant coach in his final year in the country, under David Nucifora and helped them get to the semifinals that year.

But it was only when he became head coach of Leinster in 2010 that it became apparent that Schmidt was a world class coach.

When Hansen does step down, there could be quite a battle to be his successor, with current assistant coach Ian Foster being a possible replacement.

Warren Gatland is returning from Wales after the World Cup and would be keen on the job, while Scott Robertson and John Plumtree would be regarded as local candidates.