Steve Hansen admits it is not easy competing with cashed-up English and French clubs for the services of star All Blacks players.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says he'll be happy if New Zealand Rugby only lose one of Ben Smith, Israel Dagg and Aaron Cruden to an overseas club after next season.

Fullback/wing duo Smith and Dagg and first five-eighth Cruden all not only come off contract with the national body at the end of 2017 but have been linked with cashed-up European clubs.

All three players are yet to lock in their future past their current NZR deals and could depart Kiwi shores following a year which includes a highly-anticipated tour from the British and Irish Lions.

GETTY IMAGES Israel Dagg may end up playing overseas.

Hansen admitted keeping the whole trio would be tough and indicated he would be satisfied if they lost just one of Smith, Dagg and Cruden.

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"It's going to be touch and go I think," he told Radio Sport. "We're trying really hard to keep them.



"Will we keep all three of them? Probably not. But if we can keep two out of the three that'll be a positive, if we can keep all three that'll be extraordinarily positive.

PHOTOSPORT Aaron Cruden is yet to confirm where he will play his trade beyond 2017.

"It's going to be touch and go I think," he told Radio Sport. "We're trying really hard to keep them.



"Will we keep all three of them? Probably not. But if we can keep two out of the three that'll be a positive, if we can keep all three that'll be extraordinarily positive.



"You're never going to retain everybody because we just don't have the same amount of money as the English and the French do, and that's just a reality we have to come to terms with."

Offers to extend their contracts have been tabled to all three by NZR.

Hansen believed chief executive Steve Tew and his contracting team had done an "outstanding" job in putting together the best deals possible.

In the end, though, the All Blacks boss said the decision would rest with the players and their wives and partners.

"At the end of the day, the offers have been made that are pretty fair for the players, and a big part of it is the wives themselves," Hansen told Radio Sport.



"The guys are away from home a lot, and I think [the wives] feel that they can have more time with their husbands if they go overseas, which I'm not sure is totally correct but it's the perception."

Hansen was clearer on the much spoken about topic of England potentially breaking the All Blacks record for most consecutive test victories by a tier-one nation.

Under the guidance of Australian Eddie Jones, England have notched up 14 wins in-a-row, just four shy of the record New Zealand set this year before defeat to Ireland in Chicago.

Hansen believed England had the "mental fortitude" to win all five of their matches in the 2017 Six Nations and become the new record holders.

"They've got games against Italy and you'd expect them to beat Italy and I'd expect them to beat Scotland so they've then got the Irish game, the French game and the Welsh game," he told Radio Sport.

"They'll be toughies, but we know they're capable of beating them. They went through last year undefeated so it's there for them to have a crack at."​