Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham says he has aspirations to take charge of the Wallabies one day but has no plans to take Michael Cheika's job just yet.
Larkham will step down as Brumbies coach at the end of the 2017 Super Rugby season to take on the role of Wallabies assistant and attack coach full-time, a job he is already doing at the moment.
Larkham had been stewing on the "difficult" decision for some 10 months but is confident it will be the right move career-wise.
There is a belief Larkham is being groomed as the heir apparent to Cheika beyond the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
Asked about his future goals, Larkham did not rule out the possibility of going a step further up the career ladder but made it clear he had other things to focus on than trying to push Cheika aside.
"I think everyone wants to aspire to be the best in their position and the head coach of the Wallabies is certainly the top goal in Australia," Larkham said. "That's a long way down the track. I haven't really thought about it too much but I think as a coach I certainly have aspirations to get to the top."
Come 2018, Larkham will be afforded the same luxury as Cheika did this year by not having any Super Rugby commitments, meaning he can focus solely on preparing the Wallabies.
Another benefit of Larkham's new role is he can remain in Canberra with his family, something he said he was looking forward to given the demands of constant travelling with the Brumbies and Wallabies.
The 42-year-old, however, did not rule out a return to the Brumbies after the 2019 World Cup and also floated the idea of taking his services to another part of the globe.
"After the World Cup campaign I'll certainly be able to look at my options and whether there will be something still here with the Wallabies or whether it's overseas or back with the Brumbies I'll have to see," Larkham said. "I really haven't looked that far ahead. I'm enjoying the challenge of the attack role with the Wallabies at the moment and I feel I've got a lot to improve in that area at the moment, so I'll be really focused on giving the guys the best opportunity to score tries."
Larkham has assured he is 100 per cent committed to the Brumbies and will be doing everything he can to get them on track after the loss of key players and personnel.
The Brumbies have lost Stephen Moore, Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano, David Pocock and Joe Tomane for their 2017 Super Rugby campaign as well as their chief executive Michael Jones.
Larkham rejected the idea he was deserting the Brumbies, pointing to the service he has given the club over the past two decades.
"I've been with the Brumbies for 21 years and it was a really difficult decision in terms of that," Larkham said. "I know they're in a good place at the moment. That's why the decision took so long. I've been with the Brumbies for over 20 years and I'm very connected with the Brumbies organisation."
Ironically, Larkham was the most senior coach at Sydney Airport on Friday afternoon when the Wallabies checked in for their flight to London to begin their spring tour campaign.
Cheika was a notable no-show, with the Wallabies boss set to fly out on Saturday instead because of the pain he is in after shoulder surgery during the week.
Cheika wore a sling to the John Eales Medal on Thursday evening in Sydney and it would be fair to say he will be in a little more discomfort than those around him on the long flight to Europe.
Larkham was quizzed about the possibility of moving Israel Folau into the centres and said it would be something to consider given the absence of Samu Kerevi for the tour.
"We'll wait and see," Larkham said. "What we saw from Israel was a few more touches in the close channels, particularly from set piece. I think that [game against the All Blacks in Auckland] was his best game since before the World Cup. He's certainly enjoying those tighter channels. I think it's something we'll certainly experiment with on this tour."
